


Things We Left Unsaid

by BeingEternal



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-02-06 10:46:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1855243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeingEternal/pseuds/BeingEternal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The truth is finally out, but it's only the beginning of many truths for Jane and Lisbon. Takes place right after 6x22, "Blue Bird Inn". AU for season 7</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Binoculars

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I had discontinued this fic (previously titled 'Come Hell or High Water') a while ago, but logging into my AO3 account after months I realized I never posted the rest of the chapters. So I decided to just go ahead and post the rest.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Mentalist' or profit off of it in any way.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abbott, Fischer, and Cho reflect on the relationship between our favorite detective/agent and her consultant.

Dennis Abbott  leisurely finished filling out the release forms and checked his watch, deciding it was time to fetch Patrick Jane from his TSA holding cell. Truth be told, he would be in more of a hurry if it were not for Agent Teresa Lisbon, who had requested a private interview with the former FBI fugitive that Abbott had come to grow quite fond of. He was not surprised at this request, just as he had not been surprised when she had called him last night, telling him that Jane had been arrested. Theatrics were so routine to Jane that the universe itself couldn't resist creating a dramatic situation for him to finally declare his love.

Drama was not in short supply in Lisbon's life either, as long as Jane was around. After her impulsive decision to catch the next flight to D.C., Lisbon had informed Abbott that she would be staying at Austin, permanently. Even over the phone, he could tell that she had been crying, but he was willing to bet that some of those tears were from happiness. He had hung up, momentarily pleased, hoping the feeling would get him through the series of surely headache-inducing phone calls awaiting him in order to get the charges against Jane dropped.

He met Lisbon at the airport, who by the looks of it had spent the whole night there.

"Morning Agent Lisbon," he greeted, "I'm glad you decided to stay."

She was surprised by  his warm tone, expecting instead to be reprimanded for all the paperwork she was going to cost him. He hadn't sounded angry last night either when she told him about Jane.

"I had to," she replied with a wry smile, "Everyone on board would have been very disappointed otherwise."

Abbott chuckled.  "Now let's go get our consultant."

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Presently in the TSA conference room, Abbott couldn't help a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, relieved and delighted that Jane had finally confessed to Lisbon what Abbott had long suspected. Although Lisbon didn't tell him exactly what had occurred in the aircraft, he had read the TSA transcript of the situation. Jane hadn't exactly been subtle in proclaiming his love for the entire plane to hear.

Jane and Lisbon were among the FBI's best assets, the last additions required to assemble Abbott's perfect team. Abbott would have been sorry to see it broken up. He knew Jane's services wouldn't be the same without Lisbon by his side, and vice versa. His heart wouldn't be into closing cases. Furthermore, Lisbon kept Jane grounded. Well, as much as anyone can ground Jane. Without her, one of Jane's riskier, and probably illegal, ventures would surely endanger himself and the whole team.

 Lisbon, on the other hand, had been a by-the-book cop. Her records proved that, though Abbott wondered how many off-the-record actions orchestrated by Jane had helped close cases. Certainly, Jane was rubbing off on her, something she had demonstrated by blatantly lying to Abbott's face when he had point-blank asked her to tell the truth about Ridley's accusations in the human trafficking and organ harvesting case. Though he had to admit, the bold move had nabbed them a pretty big fish in the end, and justice had been served, so why should he complain? Lisbon had been an extraordinary police officer, and showed signs of becoming an extraordinary FBI agent as well. She was fiercely loyal to Jane, enabling her to participate in cons that other agents would be wary to even consider. And Jane for all his reckless and nonchalant attitude was very protective of Lisbon; he wouldn't do anything that put her in harm's way. It was clear to Abbott that they were in love with each other.

However, it only really became obvious when Lisbon began getting serious with Marcus Pike from the Art Division. He had observed  a distinct shift in Jane's demeanor when he realized he was losing Lisbon. There was a jealousy and sadness that spoke volumes. He was perplexed how  a smart man like Kimball Cho, who had worked closely with Jane and Lisbon for several years, had not picked up on it. He internally rolled his eyes at his colleague's cluelessness. However Abbott would describe Jane and Lisbon's relationship, "like brother and sister" didn't come to mind. The past few weeks he had been trying to nudge Jane along, hoping that a romantic declaration would convince Lisbon to stay in Austin and keep their team intact. That, and the fact that Abbott was a bit of a romantic himself, a side to him he kept hidden under a stern exterior.

The TSA officer shuffled his feet. The movement broke Abbott's train of thought, and he stood and handed the papers over. "Well, lead the way," Abbott said with a sigh, as if this were just the result of another one of Jane's antics and he was  cleaning up the mess afterwards. 

When they reached the detainment room the guard keeping an eye on Jane came out to meet them.

"Morning," Abbott said politely, "Is my agent done with interrogation?"

The guard gave a derisive snort, "Yeah right. Their lips were a little too preoccupied  for any questioning, and now they're just staring at each other like a bunch of loons."

Abbott once again fought to keep his grin under control. "Ah, I see," he said, "Well, they will be duly reprimanded. But now can you please release Mr. Jane?"

The guard rolled his eyes and opened the cell door. The two occupants didn't even look up from gazing into each other's eyes until Abbott  cleared his throat. "You two ready to get out of here yet?" he asked amusedly.  

"Of course," Lisbon said, cheeks coloring pink from being caught in a moment of unprofessionalism. "Jane?" she asked turning to look at him.

The suave mentalist gave one of his trademark million dollar smiles, this one glowing with the effect of a man deeply in love. "I'll be happy to go wherever you are Teresa," he murmured.

"Jane!" Lisbon hissed, the flush on her face deepening to a rosy hue.

Jane laughed, "It's alright my dear, Dennis doesn't mind."  He was certain that Abbott had already figured out the exact nature of his feelings about Lisbon, and judging by how quickly he handed over his car keys when he told him he was going after her, he approved.

Abbott cleared his throat and put on a chastising look for the benefit of the two TSA officials in the room. "That remains to be seen Jane," he admonished, "What you did was a serious misconduct and a  grave breach of security which cannot be ignored. In fact, starting right now, you are placed under one week of suspension. Unpaid."

Jane sighed and nodded resignedly. Not that he was upset over the suspension, but he would miss seeing Lisbon while she was at work.  

Finally exiting the TSA office, they left the airport and made their way to the parking lot. Jane's sprained ankle caused him to lean on Lisbon for support. When he got to his feet with a wince, she had immediately gone to his side out of concern. He took the opportunity to slip his arm around her waist, squeezing gently, relishing the feel of her underneath his hand. She gave him a "behave yourself" look, but didn't protest.

Right before they reached the car, Abbott casually addressed Lisbon. "By the way Agent Lisbon, it's going to take a little while to process all the paperwork to cancel your transfer and officially reinstate you as part of the team. Why don't you take a week off in the meantime? Enjoy Miami. I'm sure Jane wouldn't mind paying for a few more nights at a hotel after all the trouble he's caused you."

Lisbon's mouth hung slightly agape as a look of astonishment overtook her face.

Jane grinned. Yep. Abbott definitely approved.

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, his warm breath nuzzling a sensitive spot on her earlobe, "I'm still checked in at Blue Bird, what do you say?"

Lisbon blushed for the umpteenth time, from the sensation and his suggestion. Jane found it adorable when Lisbon was shy. She on the other hand found it embarrassing to be like this in front of her boss.

"Yes Sir, I would like that," she said in the most composed tone she could muster.

Jane was elated at her answer. The thought of spending a whole week alone with Lisbon was intoxicating. They hadn't had a chance to be truly alone yet, and there was still so much he wanted to tell her, and so much more of her he wanted to feel. Perhaps she would even model that delectable deep pink dress for him again. His angry little princess wasn't too fond of dresses, but she seemed to like his selections for her. It was going to be a perfect week.  

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Kim Fischer left the DA's office triumphant that she had convinced the prosecutor to raise the murder two charges to murder in the first degree.  Her thoughts wandered to Jane, wondering if he was still being held by the TSA.

Fischer had been surprised when she received a call from Cho last night, informing her of the killer and her accomplice's arrests and Lisbon's sudden departure. Cho had recounted all the events that had occurred at the hotel, including the fact that it was Jane that had sent the note to the FBI,  thus setting up the whole operation. This had made Lisbon so angry that she left that very night, and Jane had decided to go after her at the last minute.

Fischer thought this was rather odd. She was aware that Jane and Lisbon were very close, but she did not know he was that dependent on her.

She also found it rather odd and amusing how Cho managed to describe such exciting events in his typical monotone, as if it were no more extraordinary than the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. She found that she liked this strange quirk of his.

At first, she had thought Jane and Lisbon had been sleeping together, although this presumption was quickly dissipated by a defensive Lisbon. Jane was certainly a very attractive individual, and Fischer had considered a sexual relationship with him herself. Despite her initial reservations about the mischievous and unpredictable consultant, she found herself drawn to his charisma. She envied Lisbon for her effortless influence over Jane, and while Jane was a hard man to seduce he was still a man. No, it was a different kind of hold Lisbon had over Jane.

But when Cho continued his narrative to say that Jane had been _arrested_ and Lisbon wasn't going to D.C., she began to wonder if she had been right in thinking they had been involved. After all, what else would drive a man to do such a desperate thing and a woman to give up being with her boyfriend for that man?

She reached for her cell phone to dial Abbott. 

"Yes Fischer, how did things go at the DA's office?" Abbott inquired.

"Excellent. We got the murder one charges," she replied.

"Good to hear. I've got Jane and Lisbon here and we're heading back to the Blue Bird Inn. Why don't you join us for lunch around noon? We'll leave for our flight from there." Abbot said.

Of course they would be together.  After that stunt Jane pulled, Fischer would expect Lisbon to go to him as soon as possible. A proud man like Jane breaking down for her? No woman could resist that.

"Sounds good, I'll be there," she said and hung up.

She supposed this meant that they were together now.  She felt a slight twinge of disappointment, but brushed it aside. Her interest in Jane had been rather shallow. True, she liked him, more than she cared to admit. She had felt unexpectedly touched by Jane's assertion that the genuine Fischer was more like the sweet woman from the island. But in reality, the hard-nosed federal agent in her sought to control him. The fact that he was good looking and charming was an added bonus. However, as time went on she could see the value  in his methods, having been regarded a bit of a loose cannon herself when she first joined the FBI. Or perhaps she simply started giving in to the magic of Patrick Jane. One could even say she had a bit of a crush on him.  At times with him she felt echoes of Island Kim stirring within her. Maybe she should let that Kim out more often...  

As for Lisbon, she was glad that she was staying on the team. She liked working with another strong female agent, and she personally liked Lisbon.

It was going to be very interesting to see this relationship play out.

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Cho was finishing packing and preparing for checkout when he received a text from Abbott that Jane was free and the team was gathering for lunch at noon.

The usually emotionless man allowed himself a microscopic smile, that would have been missed by most people not trained in picking up minute body language. He had given a similar smile when he learned that Lisbon had cancelled her move. Though as to why, he was still a little lost on that. Perhaps Pike simply hadn't meant as much to her as she thought, or at least, not as much as Jane did.

It was not as if he hadn't noticed Jane at the office with that woebegone expression, and Lisbon looking equally as miserable while insisting that she was happy. He was in law enforcement after all, and it was his job to pick up on details. He had simply assumed that it was difficult for them to deal with their impending parting when they had been together for so long. He himself still missed Rigsby at times, though he would rather bite his own tongue off than admit it.

Even through their two year separation, Jane's letters had been a thread keeping him connected to Lisbon. While there was certainly nothing stopping them from keeping in touch while Lisbon was in D.C., it would be different with Pike in the mix. Significant others and spouses usually trumped partners in the grand scheme of things, and sooner or later Lisbon's attachment to Pike would distance her from Jane. Lisbon would move on, but Jane... Jane wasn't known to be one to let go of the past easily. Luckily for him, Lisbon had decided "Prince Charming" wasn't worth it.

Cho was a little glad about this, as he thought it was weird how fast she moved with Pike. Cho didn't have anything against Pike. He was probably a nice guy, if a little boring. But as a long-time colleague, and more importantly, a friend of Lisbon's, Cho found her choices rather puzzling. The Lisbon he knew from the CBI would never let herself get so carried away like that. The woman he called "Boss" would have been horrified to learn that her future self had considered moving across the country to be with a man she knew for a mere month, and that was  _before_  she even had a job offer lined up. For Lisbon to give up her career for a boyfriend was... uncharacteristic to say the least.

That being said, a shot at a real relationship with a decent life partner was long overdue for Lisbon. With Jane around, it had just not been possible. He was as unpredictable as a wild animal. Lisbon trusted him, even when he could deliver a strike straight to her heart, which he did, several times. He cut her and he ran away. And when he crawled back to her, she let him in again. A weaker person than Lisbon would have given up on Jane years ago. Cho had always admired Lisbon for her fortitude, and until last night he had never seen her so disturbed.

Lisbon need stability, and he just didn't see how Jane could provide that for her.

Even so, Lisbon chose to keep Jane in her life, and Cho knew she was not a woman that made decisions lightly, at least before Pike. Or maybe it was more a compulsion than choice. Jane was like family to Lisbon, she would overlook any of his failings.

Speaking of familial relationships, perhaps "brother and sister" had been the wrong choice of words. Jane and Lisbon were like... an old, married couple. That was more like it. A married couple without the physical intimacy. They were just so used to being around each other and caring for each other. They knew each other's vices very well, and could forgive them.

They always had each other's backs. Lisbon had a true appreciation for Jane, not just for his looks and his abilities, but as a person. Jane in turn, for all his lies, manipulations, and flaunting of the rules, had a real respect for Lisbon.

Cho had seen many women fawn over Jane, which the con man used to his advantage, but Lisbon had always been different. Yes, he lied to and tricked her as much as anyone else, but she was the only one that made him feel guilty about it.

They loved each other, Cho just didn't think that meant they were _in_ love with each other.

He shook his head, all of this speculating made his head hurt. This why he didn't like to think about these things too much. He held Lisbon in too high of a regard to try prying into her personal life like Fischer.

Cho knew that Lisbon was not a woman who liked to mix her personal and professional life, and until he heard from her own mouth that she was in love with Jane, he was not going to jump the shark like Abbott. But if it _was_ true, then he sincerely hoped Jane would have the good sense not to mess it up.

They would be an odd couple no doubt, but Cho was hardly going to judge them after what happened between him and Summer.  

All he knew was that Teresa Lisbon was a woman who deserved happiness, and he hoped Patrick Jane could give it to her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you have it. In this chapter I tried to portray three different perspectives on the Jane/Lisbon relationship through the eyes of their teammates. As to why the chapter is called "Binoculars", it's because I imagined Abbott, Cho, and Kim as researchers in the field making observations about Jane and Lisbon in the wild, haha.
> 
> Abbott's perspective is of them being lovers, or purely romantic love. While this view in itself is not wrong, it fails to take in the significance of their relationship prior to them falling in love. Jane and Lisbon had always been protective and loyal to each other, long before they were in love (or knew they were in love).
> 
> Fischer's perspective is a sexual one, more specifically, sex used as a power play. She thinks of Jane as dependent on Lisbon or submissive to her (and no, not in that way, although Fischer strikes me as a dom), while outwardly acting as if he calls the shots. This view shows a failing to understand the fundamental aspect of Lisbon and Jane's relationship. They don't try to control each other, they are equals. And when Jane and Lisbon have sex, it won't be just sex, they'll make love.
> 
> Cho's perspective reflects the deep caring and respect Jane and Lisbon have for each other. They are more than friends, they are truly partners. Of course, this ignores the fact that they are in love with each other. And true love is like a partnership of souls, or "soul mates" if you prefer (yeah, I know that is a really sappy sentiment). 
> 
> The real nature of Jane and Lisbon's relationship is mixture of all three, love, sex, and partnership (I count eye sex and flirting as indications of sexual desire when it comes to Jisbon). It has always been this way, even before the events of Blue Bird. In this story I hope to explore these three aspects of their relationship further.


	2. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team goes to lunch and Lisbon has a talk with Pike.

Lisbon closed her eyes letting the warm shower envelop her, washing away the tension from her body. She was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. She was glad team had opted for the pizza joint across the street for lunch. She could really use some comfort food right now, both for her rumbling stomach and restless mind.

Lisbon finished her shower and got dressed, enjoying the feel of fresh clothes.

"Jane?" she called, stepping out of the bathroom.

The cleaning crew was still disinfecting Jane's room for "biohazards", prompting Jane to fill Lisbon in on the details of the closing of the case. Consequently, the hotel staff had shifted all of Jane's belongings to the other room booked in his name, the one Lisbon had occupied. Naturally, this meant they would have to board together for the time being, something neither Jane nor Lisbon minded.

He was lying back in the bed, eyes closed. She was stuck at how relaxed he looked, as if a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

He opened his eyes, the serene sea green disks regarding her body, "Darn. I was hoping you would be in a towel."

She rolled her eyes, "If I were inclined to come out without clothes I would put on one of those super comfy complimentary robes instead of a skimpy towel. Now hurry and get showered."

"Yes dear," he acquiesced, gathering his things. He stopped to give Lisbon a quick kiss on the cheek as he went into the bathroom.

Lisbon pressed her fingers against the spot Jane's lips had touched, sighing dreamily.

At this rate he was going to reduce her to a giggling schoolgirl.

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Lisbon and Jane walked down to the lobby where Abbott, Fischer, and Cho were waiting with their luggage.

The way Jane leaned into Lisbon as she helped him down the stairs made her nervous. She was certain Fischer and Cho would notice the intimacy of their position. Abbott may be aware of their feelings, but that didn't mean she wanted to spread gossip through the whole office.

"There you are," said Fischer, "Where's your stuff?"

"Uh..." Lisbon scrambled for an excuse.

Abbott came to her rescue, "Jane is suspended and Lisbon is on break. They will stay in Miami for a few more days. " His tone indicated that Fischer should drop the matter, so she did. For now.

They stowed the luggage in Abbott's car and walked to Cecily's, a popular pizzeria in the neighborhood.

They sat down, Jane taking the seat next to Lisbon. As they ordered, Lisbon felt something rubbing on the side of her foot. She looked down, then stomped the offending object.

"Ow!" Jane exclaimed. "Uh, nothing," he said as curious stares regarded him across the table.

Lisbon felt a little bad. Jane didn't need  _two_ painful feet. But no way was she going to start playing footsie under the table when their team members were there.

Fischer could no longer contain her curiosity.

"So... You two are a couple now?" she asked.

 _Trust Fischer to get straight to the point_ , Jane thought wryly.

Lisbon groaned, slumping down in her seat. "Does  _everyone_ already know about it?" She and Jane hadn't even had a chance to discuss the status of their relationship.

"Well if they didn't, they do now," Jane remarked.

Abbott had a knowing gleam in his eyes while Fischer had a smug I-thought-so smirk.

Besides a slight raising of the eyebrows, Cho seemed unfazed. "I guess I owe Rigsby fifty dollars," he said.

Lisbon looked scandalized. "You bet on Jane and I becoming a couple?!" she exclaimed.

Jane chuckled, "And what do you owe Grace?"

"A hundred."

Lisbon looked curious despite herself. " What did Grace bet on?" she asked.

"She bet Jane would make the first move," Cho said.

Jane pouted, "I can't believe you and Rigsby had so little faith in me. I should send Grace a gift basket."

Everyone at the table had a good laugh at Jane's expense.

Lisbon allowed herself to relax and enjoy the casual atmosphere and easy flow of conversation. Now that it was out in the open, she didn't have to worry about concealing her and Jane's new... affiliation. On that note, what  _were_  they? Boyfriend and girlfriend? She had forced herself to view Jane in a platonic manner for so long that it seemed almost absurd to think of him as her boyfriend.

Not that she had any trouble with generating non-platonic feelings for Patrick Jane. For instance, at the moment she was focused on a bit of tomato sauce staining the corner of Jane's bottom lip, and she was tempted to get it off by utilizing her own mouth.

Jane noticed her glances and addressed her, "I know I'm irresistibly handsome Teresa, but we have company."

She glared at him, while Jane smirked. He didn't need mentalism to read Lisbon like an open book. He spent years memorizing her every nuance.  _"I wanna know what your face feels like when you're smiling."_

Right now that pretty mouth was set in a exasperated line. "Didn't seem to stop you in the interrogation room," she grumbled under her breath.

"What's that? I couldn't hear you," said Jane.

"You have sauce on your face," she informed him tersely. She plucked a napkin out of the dispenser and reached towards Jane's face intending to remove the tantalizing spot, but paused half way, throwing the paper square at him instead.

"There you go," she huffed, "You know, I thought this whole revelation thing might make you a little less annoying."

Jane smiled amusedly, "Not a chance." Teasing Teresa Lisbon was one of the simple pleasures of life, and he wasn't about to give that up.

Fischer giggled, "You two are so cute."

Lisbon looked a little taken aback by this unexpectedly girlish comment by Fischer, but Jane was not surprised. He had been correct in surmising that Fischer wasn't as uptight as she seemed.

Just as they were finishing up lunch, Fischer noticed something.

"I guess you won't be needing that anymore," she said to Jane.

"What?"

"That," Fischer said, tapping her ring finger to indicate what she meant.

Jane froze. An uncomfortable silence descended upon the table.

Lisbon quickly defended him, "Jane has never taken off his ring and I don't expect him to."

Fischer looked puzzled, her forehead creasing in confusion, "But on the island— "

Abbott cut in quickly, "We should get going. Our cab will be here soon."

Abbott's interruption came too late, Jane had caught the fleeting expression of hurt that crossed Lisbon's face as she realized the implication of Fischer's words. Then the hurt disappeared and was replaced with an impassive mask.

They paid and left the establishment, noticeably more quiet than they had been a minute ago. Abbott pretended to be engrossed by a message on his phone, Jane and Lisbon hadn't said a word since Fischer's slip up, Fischer felt it was best to be silent after her faux pas, and Cho was not a man of many words anyway.

They waited outside the hotel for the cab. Lisbon could feel Jane's anxious stare burning a hole in her head, but she deliberately avoided looking at him, afraid that she wouldn't be able to contain her emotions if she met Jane's eyes.

After several more awkward minutes of silence, the cab finally arrived.

"Jane? Would you mind returning the car?" Abbott asked dangling the keys of the rental.

"Of course," Jane said, catching the keys Abbott tossed to him, "Also, thank you. I didn't get a chance to say it properly the first you handed me these."

"You're welcome, but no more crazy stunts like that. That was a huge pain in the ass to sort out," Abbott said, trying to sound strict.

"Got it. Just the usual stunts from now on," Jane said with a cheeky grin.

Jane and Lisbon waved goodbye to their teammates, and soon as the cab vanished from their sights, Jane dropped the cheerful act and began speaking rapidly.

"Lisbon" he began impassionedly, "I'm sorry. I know you must be hurt and angry. I owe you an explanation. Just please let me explain— "

He was calling her Lisbon again. She knew that didn't mean he was distancing himself. It was more familiar. Natural.

"Jane," she interrupted quietly, "I'm not mad and you don't need to be so panicked. It's your personal matter and I don't need a justification. As for explanations, you owe me plenty, but right now all I want to do is sleep."

Jane nodded. He too was tired. As they reached the stairs he held the banister for support.

Lisbon reached out to him, "Here. Lean on me."

"It's okay Lisbon. I'm actually not that hurt," he said.

She shook her head, smiling a little. Of course Jane would exaggerate his pain as an excuse to touch her.

"It's fine Jane, lean on me," she insisted.

He understood that what she meant was that it was okay to get close to her.

With their arms wrapped tenderly around each other they headed to their destination.

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Lisbon came out the bathroom dressed in comfortable sweats to see Jane lounging on the couch, still in his suit.

"Jane? Aren't you going to change for bed?" she inquired.

"I don't have pajamas, or whatever it is you have on," he said.

"Then what do you wear to bed?" she asked, flopping down on the bed.

He raised an eyebrow pointedly, and she blushed.  _Oh._

"Um. That's fine... just keep your underwear on," she said, hoping she didn't sound as awkward as she felt.

He nodded, removing his jacket. Then slowly, he began undoing the buttons of his shirt, finally shrugging it off.

Lisbon felt her heart suddenly go into overdrive. She had inadvertently fantasized about Jane's body more times than she would like to count. How could she not? She was human, not a pillar of stone. But the reality far outstripped her fantasies. He was very fit for a man his age. Between his face and body, he took her breath away.

He unbuckled his pants, letting them slide to the floor, revealing snug, charcoal gray boxers. Lisbon determinedly moved her eyes away from the unmistakable bulge in the front, ignoring the heat sweeping through her belly. Now was not the time.

He crawled into bed and they positioned themselves comfortably under the sheets.

At first they just lay there, staring at each other from opposite sides of the bed. Then Lisbon scooted close to Jane, putting an arm around him and laying her head on his bare chest. He sighed and cradled her closer, cuddling her petite body.

"Mmm... " Lisbon gave a small moan of contentment.

Jane buried his nose in her hair, inhaling the scent of cinnamon and vanilla.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until Lisbon's breathing had come to a slow, even pace and Jane knew she was asleep.

He gazed at the sleeping angel in his arms, hoping fervently that this was real and not just a dream. Less than twenty-four hours ago he had been a defeated man, certain he had lost the woman he loved because he was too damn scared to just tell her the truth. He felt disgusted at himself, thinking of how he had schemed to get Lisbon to stay with him. But now no more games. He will happily spend the rest of his life making up for all the lies and torment he caused her.

He would lavish her with all the love and attention she could ever desire. His heart, his life, belonged to her.

Jane closed his eyes and let sleep finally claim him.

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When Lisbon opened her eyes again it was dark. She blinked, eyes adjusting to the dimness. She felt rested and peaceful, her head laying on the most comfortable pillow she had ever slept on. She made a move to get up and her pillow made a sound of protest. It was then that she remembered where she was and who she was with.

She gently disentangled herself from him, and with a groan he got up also.

"What time is it?" Jane asked, voice still gravelly from sleep.

She leaned over to check the digital clock on the nightstand.

"Almost seven."

"Hmm. We should figure out what to do for dinner," he said.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

From her tone, he could figure out something was weighing on her mind.

"What's wrong Teresa?" he asked concernedly.

"I need to talk to Marcus."

"Oh," he said, "Would you like some privacy?"

She nodded gratefully. This was between her and Marcus, and she needed to make a clean break from him before being with Jane.

"Okay then. I think I'll take a little walk then find some food. Thai take-out?" he asked.

"Sounds good," she said.

Jane got out of bed and got dressed.

"Call me when you're done." He leaned forward and kissed her, a chaste, sweet peck of goodbye and left.

Lisbon gave a heavy sigh, not looking forward to the necessary phone conversation. She reached for her cell phone and winced when she saw ten missed calls from Pike. She had put her phone on silent, not wanting to be disturbed while sleeping. She hit the call button. He picked up on the second ring.

"Teresa! What the hell is going on?! First you call me yesterday and say you're not coming, hang up with no explanation. Then you don't pick up any of my calls..." Pike said irately.

"Marcus, I'm sorry. I wasn't in the right state of mind to talk then," she said apologetically.

"Just tell me what's going on. When are you coming to D.C.?"

"Marcus..." she paused, preparing herself to drop the bomb, "I'm not coming. Ever."

He was quiet, and she anxiously waited for him to break the silence.

"How can you do this to me Teresa? After all I did for you. I thought everything was decided." The anger and accusation in his voice made her feel guilty and small.

"I know, and I'm so, so sorry," she said, beseeching him for forgiveness.

"Why? Just tell me why," Pike said gruffly.

"I'm in love with Jane. And he loves me too, " Lisbon confessed.

"That son of the bitch—"

"Don't you dare!" Lisbon cut in angrily. She would not bear to hear him insult Jane.

Pike said some rather harsh things to her, things she felt she deserved, but it was painful to hear nonetheless.

"I can't believe I wasted so much time on you. Goodbye," he said coldly before hanging up.

Lisbon took a deep breath, unable to keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks. Why had she thought Marcus would understand? Maybe it had been his "no pressure" attitude, which she now realized had been a clever way of manipulating her into doing exactly what he wanted.

She had been a fool. She had been ready to leave everything behind for this man, who didn't even respect her and her wishes.

It was her fault too. She let herself get carried away. She had been alone for so long, pining after Jane, any attention was a welcome relief.

Her phone buzzed, a text from Jane.  _Hey. You ready?_

She texted back,  _Yeah_.

Fifteen minutes later he was knocking at the door.

When Lisbon opened the door, Jane saw her red-rimmed eyes and his jaw tightened.

He read in her eyes that she didn't want to talk about it at this time, so he focused on another important matter, dinner.

They sat in front of the television with their take-out. Jane had suggested they watch TV to distract Lisbon. She agreed and he put the channel to a movie with guns and ridiculous explosions, the kind she would find entertaining.

Jane made small talk, commenting on every unrealistic aspect of the movie while Lisbon shushed him playfully.

After dinner, Jane pulled Lisbon gently into bed and held her, stroking her hair soothingly.

She was overwhelmed at his kindness. There was Marcus, who pretended to be considerate while pushing her into doing what he wanted, and there was Jane, who effortlessly understood what she needed and acted accordingly.

They had both manipulated her, but somehow, she believed Jane truly cared for her.

She cringed, recalling her own harsh words. _"You don't give a damn about what I want or need."_

How could she have expected honesty from Jane when she had been lying to herself about what she wanted?

However, that didn't mean they didn't have issues to sort out.

Being with him felt right, but they had both resisted their feelings for so long, to the point of hopelessness. It would take awhile to overcome the initial uncertainty of their new relationship.

For now, Lisbon was content to lie in Jane's arms, happy just to be here at last.

 


	3. Strawberries and Sunsets

Lisbon awoke alone. At the sight of the empty side of the bed, white hot panic arose in her gut. He was gone. He had left her again. _Oh God..._

"Morning sweetheart, I was just about to wake you," a familiar voice greeted her cheerfully.

Lisbon swiveled around to find Jane relaxing in an armchair.

His sunny smile disappeared as he took in her distraught countenance. He went to her side immediately.

"What's wrong, did you have a bad dream?" he asked worriedly.

"I thought..." Lisbon took a deep breath, calming herself, "I thought you ran away again."

His look of pained remorse made her wish she thought of a lie.

"Teresa," he said voice cracking with guilt, "Believe me. I'm done with running away."

Lisbon soothingly stroked his arm. "Jane, forget it, I overreacted," she said gently. 

She tried to deflect the tension by changing the topic, "You're up and ready rather early."

Jane forced himself to set aside what had just happened. He didn't want to ruin their pleasant morning.

"It's actually ten o'clock my dear. I went to return Abbott's rental,  then got us breakfast. There's a nice little bakery close to here that sells excellent bearclaws. You were sound asleep so I didn't want to wake you. I left you a note, but you were still out when I got back." His voice had a teasing quality to it, but in actuality he was glad to have some time to himself, thinking of ways to please his sleeping beauty.

"Oh. Thank you," said Lisbon. She stretched, loosening the muscles in her back.

"I also checked out of the other room, so you're stuck with me now," Jane said.

"I hope so," she responded warmly. They locked eyes, conveying unspoken words until Lisbon finally moved to get out of bed and freshen up.

Lisbon brushed her teeth and attempted to fix her bed head, but gave up, pulling her hair into a messy ponytail.  She heard a knock on the door, and a voice announcing room service. When she came out Jane had two plates fixed for them.

She surveyed the food. There were the promised bearclaws and... strawberries!

"There's also eggs and toast on the tray. I had room service bring it up along with a fresh pot of coffee for you and tea for me," said Jane. 

Lisbon grinned, delighted. For a moment she remembered the granola bar Marcus had given her in the name of breakfast. She hadn't expected much, but it would have been nice if he had at least made the effort to make her a bowl of cereal. She forced herself to refocus on the present, on the wonderful man presenting her with a delicious and wholesome meal.

Lisbon eagerly popped a juicy red berry in her mouth, "Mmm... Did room service bring the strawberries?"

Jane watched the pink tip of her tongue lick away the remnants of the juice on her lips, overcome with the desire to slip his own tongue inside her mouth and taste the sweet fruit. 

"I noticed a farmer's market on the way back from returning the car. They looked delicious," he said.

"They are, Lisbon assured him. "Are you trying to apologize for something?" she asked slyly.

Jane puzzled for a second, "Why would I..." Then he recollected, "Ah! That's right. I brought strawberries to apologize for being an ass. Well, I guess I am apologizing for being an ass again."

"You're forgiven," Lisbon said sweetly. "You also hugged me," she reminded him.

Jane went to her and gathered her in his arms, pressing her close to him. "I remember," he said lovingly.

"Now let's eat. The tea's getting cold."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisbon finished blow drying her hair, deciding to leave it natural. She put on a suit, regretting that she had not elected to pack more casual day wear.

Jane came up behind her, placing his hands lightly on her shoulders. 

"I always did like your hair wavy," he said, fingering the silky locks.

Lisbon turned, leaning into his touch. 

She sighed, wanting to stay in the moment. But there were important  matters to discuss.

"Jane, we need to talk," she said.

Lisbon saw the fear in Jane's eyes and quickly assured him, "Don't worry, I'm not having second thoughts."

Jane relaxed, and Lisbon continued, "But we need to talk about _us_."

He knew they did, but she was on vacation, and he was determined that she have a good time.

"We will talk Teresa, but later. Why waste such a beautiful day? Shall we go to the beach?"

Lisbon hesitated, "Jane..."

Jane gave her his best puppy-dog eyes, "Please?"

She gave in. She had never been good at refusing him. Besides, they had plenty of time, and the Islamorada coastline was calling to her.

Then Lisbon remembered, "I don't have any beach clothes."

"Not a problem, we'll go shopping first," said Jane.

Sometime later, Jane and Lisbon were at the mall picking out swimsuits.

Jane suggested several skimpy bikinis, which Lisbon rejected.

"How am I supposed to have fun when I'm worried about my... things falling out," gesturing vaguely to her chest area.

"But it seems like such a shame to cover such lovely _things_ ," Jane cajoled. 

"Really? You think they're lovely?" Lisbon asked shyly.

"Of course. Why do you think I put you in those dresses with the plunging necklines in the art theft case?" Jane asked mischievously, "I do notice your incredibly sexy body. I always have." He leaned toward her seductively, "Front and back."

Lisbon slapped his chest playfully, "Perv. All those years you behaved like a monk, and now you're telling me you were secretly checking me out?"

"You betcha," he said, giving her a devilish wink. She acted indignant, but he knew she was actually pleased to learn that he had admired her figure all this time.

In the end, Lisbon went with an ultramarine one-piece swimwear that still showed a little cleavage, three shirts, and two pairs of shorts. She also left Jane for some time, and returned carrying an additional shopping bag, indicating that she had made other purchases. This piqued Jane's interest.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Never you mind," she replied nonchalantly, which only served to heighten Jane's curiosity. 

They went to pay for their items, and Jane pulled out his credit card.

"Oh no you don't," said  Lisbon, "You've already been too extravagant with the rooms and dresses."

"Come on Teresa," said Jane, "I probably owe you a lot of hot dog and pretzel money from over the years. Think about it as me finally paying you back."

"You do snack a lot," said Lisbon, "but I think you've paid me back sufficiently."

Jane rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Lisbon had always been uncomfortable with accepting lavish gifts, like the time she had returned the emerald jewelry he had gotten her. But if things went according to plan, she wouldn't refuse the piece of jewelry he was planning on giving her next.

 _All in due time_ , he thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back at the hotel, Jane and Lisbon gathered their beach gear.

"Jane, you're not wearing your brace. Go put it on now." Lisbon was using her Mom voice, a tone that had kept her three brothers in line.

"Teresa!" he whined, "I'm fine. I was just walking around this morning without it. How am I supposed to frolic in the waves with my foot all wrapped up like that?"

"There will be no frolicking. You can enjoy the beach sitting down, far away from the water, wearing plenty of sunscreen," Lisbon said firmly.

He forced to relent to her, but in truth he didn't mind so much. It was nice having someone look after him.

Lisbon was starting to get excited about her vacation. Riding in the Cadillac convertible, hair whipping in the wind, dressed in beach attire, it was a real holiday. She felt the most stress-free she had been in a long time, even with Jane behind the wheel.  In fact, the enjoyable car ride felt far too short, as the ocean was just a hop and skip away.

They arrived at the beach and picked a nice spot to set their things.

Jane took off his shirt, and Lisbon eyed him with appreciation. She couldn't help but wonder how a man who lay around on a couch most of the day and wasn't particularly fond of exercise stayed so toned.

He wasn't exactly a hulking mass of muscles, which wasn't her type anyway. But he had nicely sculpted arms, and his chest was broad with a light sprinkling of fine, nearly invisible hairs that glinted golden in the sunlight.

What captivated her most though, was the angelic smile on the most devilishly handsome face she had ever seen. She could look at that visage for hours.

A couple of passing women  gave him approving glances, and Lisbon resisted the urge to glare at them. She didn't want to be _that_ kind of girlfriend.

Jane for his part was enjoying the rare view of Lisbon's shapely legs from the corner of his eye.

"Jane, put on some sunscreen," the owner of the luscious legs ordered.

"Yes ma'am" he said roguishly, "Could you help me with that?"

Lisbon was only too happy to do so, taking her time to make sure he was _really_ covered. Jane was equally glad to return the favor.

They spent a gorgeous day on the beach, and with a little convincing, Lisbon allowed Jane to take off his brace and pull her into the ocean where they proceeded to splash each other like a couple of kids.

They watched as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky crimson and gold. Jane reached for Lisbon's hand. Then palms touched, fingers intertwined, and the hearts of two lovers beat as one. 

 

 


	4. What the Heart Wants

They settled into their room for the night. A heavy tension was palpable in the air. Both Lisbon and Jane knew they could no longer put off the inevitable discussion. Jane decided to break the silence.

"Teresa, I know we have a lot to talk about, so let me start from the beginning."

"The first time I met you, I liked you. I could tell you were a good person. Kind, guileless, everything I never was. As I got to know you I liked you more and more. You were my one source of joy. You brought back the thing in my life I thought I'd never feel again. Hope. For the first time I felt as though I could let go... Let go of all the pain and the guilt inside of me. And that infuriated me. I had no right to move on after what I did to Angela and Charlotte. I deserved to drown in my misery."

Jane began pacing restlessly.

"People talk about sparks and fireworks. But you were my candle Lisbon, a little light, a little warmth in my dark and cold world. My best friend."  
"You made me remember that there were good things in the world. Good people who weren't deceitful. You made me feel human."

He sighed.

"Then I began to feel drawn to you in a different way."

"You were beautiful Teresa, no doubt about that. I had no problem with thinking you were attractive. What scared me was that you were the kind of woman a man could fall in love with. I could never let that happen. Not only would it put you in danger but it felt like a betrayal to my wife and child."

"Every time you looked at me with a hint of longing, I could feel my resolve breaking. Yet, I forced myself to ignore it, because it distracted me from my objective. I was arrogant, telling myself that it was no different than the way other women had looked at me. As if you could be compared to them!"

"What I was afraid to admit was that I wanted you too. I tried so hard not to want you. I even tried thinking of you like a little sister, but that felt so wrong. I thought about just giving in and sleeping with you, maybe that would get you out of my system. I felt disgusted, thinking of using you like that. You were no Lorelei. I couldn't just bed you for my own purposes. I knew, if I gave into you once, I couldn't just walk away."

"So I indulged myself in little touches and glances, a little flirtation. What would seem like casual moments to outsiders, but I craved those moments. I was like an addict denying that he was hooked."

Lisbon knew that feeling all too well. They were both addicted to each other.

Jane continued, "Vengeance kept me alive. I couldn't let myself die until I killed Red John. There was only one thing that could stop me. One person I could die for, and kill for. You. I would give it all up to save you, Teresa. My biggest strength against Red John was that I had nothing to lose, until I did. You were my Achilles' heel."

He paused, looking at Lisbon mournfully.

"Red John was still out there, still able to destroy everything I loved all over again. How could I let you get so close to me? How could I be so selfish?"

"If I lost you, I would lose my sanity. This time, I wouldn't recover."

Lisbon became teary-eyed. Sometimes she doubted whether she had that big of an impact on Jane's life with how easily he seemed to walk away from her. Now she knew it had been as hard for him as her.

"So I fought it. I used every trick I knew. I used biofeedback to stop my body from reacting to you. I kept my thoughts busy with organizing my memory palace, so that they wouldn't stray to you."

Jane stared at nothing in particular, reminiscing of lonely nights in his attic, consumed with thoughts of Red John and angry with himself when an errant thought of Lisbon distracted him.

"It was no use."

"The mind can be persuaded, manipulated, subjugated. But the heart... you can't control what the heart wants. At some point, I had done the thing I feared most. I had fallen in love with you, and I didn't even realize it."

"All those years, you stayed by my side, even when I made your life difficult and dangerous. I've put you through hell Teresa, and for that I'm truly sorry."

"That day I went to confront the Red John suspects, I left you on the side of the road to protect you. I wish I didn't have to trick you, but I knew I wouldn't be able to convince you to stay behind. What I said to you wasn't just a distraction though. You meant more to me than I could ever tell you, and that was why I could no longer endanger your life. The other reason was that I had no intention of returning alive, whether Red John killed me or not."

Lisbon gasped, understanding his implication.

Jane smiled sadly.

"At last, when it was all over, I thought about it. Red John was dead, I still had the gun. The only thing that stopped me was the thought of you. How devastated you would be when you saw my dead body. I know the pain of losing people close to you. I couldn't intentionally do that to you. Still, I ran. I wasn't afraid of the law. I was prepared to face the repercussions of my actions. But I wasn't ready to deal with life after Red John. Revenge was the sole purpose in my life for ten years. There was a fairly good chance I could talk my way out of a conviction, leaving me free to be with you... And that scared me more than jail. I've loved, as deeply and devotedly as a man can love, and in the end it brought me nothing but sorrow and pain. I wasn't ready to love again. I needed to get away from everything, start over. But I didn't— I couldn't, forget you."

"All that kept me from going crazy with loneliness for two years on that island was the thought of you, writing you letters, thinking of when I would see you again."

"Then I met Fischer."

Jane paused, fiddling with his ring, preparing for the next part. He knew Lisbon said she didn't require an explanation, but he needed to tell her this.

"As you know, she was there as part of the FBI's trap to lure me back to the States. I must have seemed desperate enough to flock to anyone who even knew English. Additionally, make a pretty gal the bait and the mark would be in the bag. It was rather obvious. I expected a better plan frankly."

 _Typical Jane_ , Lisbon thought, even in the middle of a serious discussion he couldn't resist pointing out the shortcomings of others' cons.

"I performed my part. Pretended I was playing right into their hands. However, Kim also made me realize that the FBI wasn't wrong about thinking I would be an easy target. I was desperate, lonely, and pathetic. After two years I still hadn't come to terms with everything. Their deaths. My guilt. Killing Red John was a momentary release, nothing more. It still didn't change the fact that they were gone and it was my fault."

"I decided then that I couldn't keep going on like that."

"I took off my ring, not for Fischer, but for myself. I needed to see if I could. I had to know if I was ready."

"Ready for what?" Lisbon asked with bated breath.

Jane went to her and clasped her hands tenderly in his. "Ready to return to you, ready to finally move on with my life."

"You still wear the ring," Lisbon objected, "Does that mean you're not ready?"

Her thoughts flew wildly. What if Jane was not prepared for a relationship, and the only reason he was with her was because he had to take extreme measures to stop her from leaving? How long could such a relationship last? When it falls through, it would destroy everything. Not only would all romantic ties be severed, but her bond of trust and friendship with Jane would be no more. The thought of losing Jane's friendship was unbearable to Lisbon.

"It's not what you think Teresa," Jane assured her, "I wear it now only as a memento of joyful times. It no longer carries the burden associated with it."

"I had already made my decision to live. There was no point staying on the island, clutching to poisonous memories that were slowly killing me. And what was life without you?"

"I came back only for you, Teresa. Abbott, Fischer, the FBI's threats, none of them mattered to me. I saw through their ruses immediately. But the temptation to be with you was too great. All my childish demands, they were nothing but a means to an end to get to you. Three months in solitary was a small price to pay to have you with me."

"I was adamant on having what I wanted. You were right. I never considered your feelings in all this. I never thought that you might not want me back in your life. Despite that, you stayed. I was so grateful to you for that. I should have told you then what I feel for you. If only I weren't still working up the nerve to admit it to myself."

"I was expecting it to be like old times, but I could tell that things between us were different. I realized then how much had changed in two years. Just because I was stuck in the past didn't mean you were."

"We were together, but it seemed as if I hardly saw you. It felt like I was farther away from you in Austin than when I was in South America."

"I tried to spend time with you, but sometimes circumstances came in the way, and sometimes you turned me down."

Lisbon guiltily recalled the times she made excuses when Jane asked her to accompany him to dinner or a case.

She hadn't intentionally tried to distance herself from him. But there was a definite lack of their old camaraderie, especially in those initial months at the FBI. She wondered if deep down she was still bitter towards Jane for abandoning her.

"I'm sorry Jane, I didn't mean it like that," Lisbon said apologetically.

"I know," he said. He hadn't conveyed the disappointment he had felt then, but he didn't blame Lisbon for wanting some space from him.

Jane sighed and returned to his confessions, "Then came Pike. I figured he would be like Mashburn, a meaningless one night stand. Or maybe you'd go on a couple dates before calling it quits. Before long, it became obvious that you were serious about him. And when he asked you to move with him, it became apparent just how serious."

"Once again, I had taken something good in my life for granted. Never knowing how precious it was until it was taken from me. I was losing you Teresa. It felt like I was suffocating, choking on my own loneliness. I deserved it, I know. You trusted me and I deserted you, multiple times."

"What I said that night outside your door, when I brought you cannoli as a pretense, I meant it, every word. I just wanted you to be happy Teresa. You deserve to be happy. I had nothing to offer you. If Pike was what you wanted then so be it."

"However, I could sense that you were unsure. Despite what you said, you didn't want to go. I counted on your hesitation to stop you. I was so self-centered I believed that you would never actually leave me. It wasn't until Cho told me that you put in your transfer papers that I realized that if I let you go this time, it would be goodbye forever. You are my reason for living Teresa, and it's selfish and unfair to you, but I couldn't let my life go so easily. If I even had a sliver of a chance, I was prepared to use everything in my arsenal to convince you to stay."

"I was willing to do anything, trick you, manipulate you, beg and plead, even seduce you."

Lisbon was taken aback. _He was going to seduce me? Really?_

Though in hindsight it seemed obvious. The adjoining rooms, the dresses, the dinner... all the signs pointed to that direction.

Jane scoffed bitterly, "I was willing to do anything except tell you the truth."

"I've confided my deepest, most shameful secrets to you. And yet I couldn't tell you the truth that was so obvious that complete strangers have guessed it."

Lisbon smiled a little, recalling the various times people that had assumed she and Jane were a couple or in love with each other.

Jane looked right into Lisbon's eyes, driving home the sincerity of his next words, "Teresa, I am a man who was lucky enough to find the love of his life twice. I promise you, I will cherish that fact until the day I die. I love you, I love you so much."

Jane was openly crying now, as was Lisbon. She threw her arms around his neck and he gripped her lower back as they locked in a tight embrace.

Lisbon finally drew away and prepared to speak. He had been so open and honest, something that didn't come easily to him. He deserved to hear the truth from her as well.

"You're not the only one who's lied Jane. You were right. I didn't want to move to D.C. It wasn't just that it was too much, too soon, something else was keeping me in Austin," she said.

A pained expression crossed Lisbon's face.

"You think you were the only one who was lonely for two years Jane? I spent my days chasing bicycle thieves, and my nights with a glass of wine, rereading your letters."

Jane felt saddened and guilty at what his cowardice had reduced Lisbon to. He had not only cost her her career, but she had no one by her side to support her through it.

Lisbon's voice began to rise unintentionally, as years of pent up hurt and heartache flowed out.

"You were my best friend too. You came into my life and everything changed. For ten years you were the center of my world. How do you think I felt when you left, again, and I looked around me and realized my life is just an empty shell?"

To Lisbon it had felt as if all the joy had been drained out of her life in an instant. The abruptness of it was like a swift punch in the gut, leaving her winded and in agony. With time, she slowly healed. But the excruciating pain hadn't completely faded away, merely reduced to a dull ache that inflamed now and then with Jane's memories.

"Regardless, I could have put it behind me. I thought I had made peace with myself, learned to be content with what I had. But every time I read your letters, I had the insane hope that someday you would come and tell me stories about the island in person. I kept dreaming that you would show up at my door—" Lisbon voice cracked, and she took a moment to compose herself.

"I told myself to get a grip. You had no reason to come back. Red John was dead, the FBI was after you. I was lucky to be getting letters at least. Even knowing all that, I couldn't stop myself from hoping. You were like a bad habit I couldn't kick."

"And one day, it actually happened. You came back. When you came through that door, for a moment I wondered if I was still dreaming. It wasn't until you hugged me that I knew it was real."

Jane knew the feeling.

**_*Flashback*_ **

_Jane stood outside the FBI conference room, nearly trembling in anticipation. He hadn't felt this nervous in a long time. He wanted to see Lisbon so badly, but part of him was terrified to do so. How was she going to react? Would she be angry with him? That was okay, he could take her anger, as long as he got to see her. The anxiety was actually making him sweat a little. Ugh, not good, Jane thought. He didn't want to look sweaty in front of Lisbon. He pulled open a couple buttons on his shirt, airing it out a bit. Great, now it looked like he was trying to look provocative for her. "Just go in!" he mentally commanded himself. Thus emboldened himself, he swung the door open, and there she was. She was faced away from him, but it was unmistakably her. A grin as bright as lightning overtook his face. When she turned to look at him he was graced with a matching grin, with the addition of some lovely dimples. Jane couldn't contain himself any longer and pulled Lisbon into a warm hug, savoring the feel of having her so close to him. It was almost as if he needed to touch her to make sure she was real and not a belladonna-induced hallucination._

****_* End Flashback*_ ** **

"I couldn't stop myself from staying, even though every rational part of my brain was screaming that it was a bad idea. Normalcy was slowly killing me. I needed your special brand of crazy. My first mistake was thinking that things would be less complicated this time."

Lisbon sounded less agitated, and more despondent now.

"I thought it would be easy to slip back into our old routine. I didn't anticipate how much I would resent you acting like nothing happened. As if you had never left and nothing had changed in two years. I suppose I was trying to avoid you. Maybe give you a taste of your own medicine, so you would know what it feels like to be ditched like an old, outgrown toy."

Jane made a sound of protest. He certainly didn't think of Lisbon as his plaything, but he did admit he had treated her inconsiderately.

Lisbon held out a hand in a motion to quiet him. "Let me finish Jane. We were still friends and partners, I knew you still cared about me in that capacity. At one point in my life, it could have sufficed."

"You just didn't get it. I was so tired of being alone. I couldn't spend the rest of my life being your buddy."

"I guess that's why it was so easy to fall for Marcus. He was charming, courteous. For once, I felt like someone was interested in me, not Jane's sidekick."

"I knew things were moving too fast, but I didn't want to wake up some day and realize I had missed my chance to be happy. I could see a future with him, with love, security, and family, which was more than I could say of us."

"Every time the topic of D.C. came up, I prayed that you would say something. Give me a reason not to leave. When you did speak up, it was about missing me or not breaking up the team. That wasn't enough. I don't know what it was I waiting to hear. "

Lisbon laughed, it was not a jovial sound.

"No, I knew exactly what I wanted to hear. I thought I had given up hope of ever hearing it. Or I suppose, I thought I'd never hear it again, since you claimed you didn't remember the first time."

Jane winced, "I'm sorry Teresa, that was callous of me. I just had to say it once, in case something went wrong."

"There were different circumstances then," Lisbon said somberly, "I can understand why you did that."

She looked away from Jane, ashamed by what she had to say next.

"You're right, the heart wants what it wants. Even if it's crazy and irrational."

"I wanted to hear that you wanted me, in the way that I wanted you for so long. I had no right to expect that of you. It wasn't fair to you, Marcus, or myself. For years, I was resigned to the fact that you could never love anyone the way you loved your wife, and frankly, I admired that about you. Besides, you probably never even thought about me that way."

"Well that's not true," Jane interjected.

"How was I supposed to know that? It's not like you gave any indication," Lisbon retorted.

"I wanted to prove to myself that I was over you. Marcus seemed like a great guy, and I really did like him. But what I felt for him wasn't strong enough to forget what I felt for you."

"Still, I persisted, and it was hurting all of us, I could see that. I wanted to believe that I was doing what was best for everyone. In truth, I was being selfish and worse, I was being cruel to you. I didn't even respect our friendship."

As much as he wanted to object that Lisbon was not cruel, Jane couldn't help but agree that he had been deeply hurt by her complete disregard for his feelings, even as a friend.

Ever since "Prince Charming" appeared he felt that he was slowly but surely becoming more insignificant in Lisbon's life, like an unmemorable side character in the Lisbon-Pike saga.

Lisbon shook her head, exasperated at herself.

"In a way, he was right. I was fickle, and I was just using him."

"Pike said that?" Jane responded sharply. He didn't take kindly to anyone who upset Lisbon.

"He was angry. As he had every right to be," Lisbon braced herself for the full confession.

"Jane I... I had said I would marry him."

Jane's eyes widened in shock, "What?"

He had teased Lisbon about moving in with Pike being akin to a marriage, but that had been to scare her into staying. Yes, he had witnessed that so-called pathetic excuse of a proposal through the glass wall. It had been tricky from that angle, but with a combination of his lip-reading skills and mental acuity, he had deduced that Pike had asked Lisbon to marry him, and she clearly had been shocked. Earlier that day, he could tell Pike had been pressuring Lisbon by her body language. It made his stomach curl in disgust, and he had wanted to punch that smug smirk right off Pike's face. But it was also good news, because it meant all was not well with the relationship. In fact, he was so sure that Pike had shot himself in the foot with that proposal that he had stopped worrying altogether about Lisbon leaving. Lisbon wasn't commitment-phobic, but she had never been one to rush into a relationship. She also kept herself mostly detached from the few lovers she did have. It wasn't until she put her papers in that he realized that she was serious about making this relationship work. He had hoped that by once again bringing up the topic of marriage, it would make her nervous about how fast things were going with Pike and she would reconsider moving with him, or better yet, break all ties completely. Never did he think she would actually say yes to marrying Mr. Pushy.

"I was being an idiot," Lisbon said miserably, "He asked me to marry him immediately after I told him I was going to D.C. It was all so sudden, I wasn't ready. I didn't even love him, despite what I kept saying. It sure didn't help that you were right there, a few steps away. I tried to talk to you, but I lost my nerve. I thought I had finally figured out what I wanted, but that proposal made me confused all over again. Then we got the DeJorio case, and you made me so angry. I wasn't thinking straight. I called him and... " Lisbon groaned and covered her face in her hands. "And I said I'd take the offer," she whispered hoarsely. Agreeing to marriage with Pike had made her feel sick. She felt like she had just signed a contract, not made a lifelong commitment.

Jane felt sick as well. He would have never forgiven himself if his thoughtless scheming had pushed Lisbon into going through with a hasty, loveless marriage.

"I shouldn't have done that. Especially not then. You hurt me Jane, but the worst part is that I realized that even after all these years I would still choose you. I wasn't as angry at you as I was at myself for falling for you again."

"When you got on that plane and said you loved me, I didn't know if I could believe you. I didn't think it was possible, but my heart kept saying that it wasn't a trick."

Lisbon questioned him with her eyes, silently asking for assurance that she hadn't been wrong in her conviction.

Jane quickly assuaged her worries. "No more tricks, I swear. I promised myself the moment I decided to go after you that I would be completely honest with you, always," he said earnestly.

"Hmm, we'll see," said Lisbon, pretending to sound skeptical, but internally, she fully trusted Jane to keep his word.

"Though you cut it really close mister," she admonished him, "A few more minutes and I would be eating pancakes with Pike in D.C. right now."

Jane gave a small chuckle.

The brief moment of levity was punctuated by Lisbon's teary eyes.

"Though it's my fault too. I helped make this mess. I owe you an apology as well, for how I treated you. I'm very sorry Jane. Please forgive me?" Lisbon asked sincerely, seeking absolution.

Jane smiled, "I would have to be the world's biggest jerk to not forgive you after the innumerable times you've forgiven me. Yes, of course I forgive you. Can you forgive me, again?"

She smiled back at him, "Have I ever been able to stay mad at you? I already forgave you in the plane before the TSA had even finished marching your ass out the door."

"It's settled then. We forgive each other," Jane said, feeling as if a great burden had been lifted from his mind.

Silence reigned for a few seconds as both reflected on the truths they learned about each other, and themselves, tonight.

"Jane?" Lisbon said tentatively, inflecting her tone like a question.

Jane chuckled, "Teresa, we just bared our souls to each other, do you think you can call me Patrick now?"

Lisbon contemplated for a moment, getting used to the idea.

"Patrick," she said slowly, trying out the feel of it in her mouth. Jane's heart quickened at the sweet sound of his name in Lisbon's voice.

"Yes?" he prompted.

"I love you," Lisbon declared, finally saying the words out loud.

Jane was overcome with happiness and relief. "Say it again," he said, purposely echoing her words in the TSA cell.

Lisbon smiled, remembering his response to her directive, and copied him. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. Jane responded with such enthusiasm that things quickly got heated.

Their first kiss had been sweet, succinct, and sensuous. A fitting beginning considering their history and the location at the time. This kiss was passion and ecstasy, the culmination of twelve years of frustration and desire.

Jane sucked on Lisbon's lower lip, eliciting a throaty moan from her. She slipped her fingers into his luxuriant curls, something she had always wanted to do. Jane probed his tongue at the entrance of Lisbon's mouth and she parted her lips for him immediately. He slid his tongue against hers, darting it slightly in and out of her mouth. She couldn't help but imagine what it would be like for him to enter her in the manner he was doing to her mouth. They continued this until they were both breathless. Jane went for her neck next, brushing his lips against her skin until he found her sensitive spots. He started with light butterfly kisses that left her giddy, then made her gasp as he mercilessly sucked on her pulse points.

They fell backwards on the bed, Jane continuing his assault on Lisbon's neck. He swept his lips lower and lower until they reached the cleavage exposed by her tousled low-cut top. He shifted, and Lisbon felt the hardness of his desire pressing against her thigh, which snapped her out of her reverie.

While she was glad to learn that everything was in order in that department after nearly thirteen years of celibacy, excluding Lorelei, she didn't want it to happen like this.

As juvenile as it sounded, she wanted their first time to be special. A slow, romantic affair, not a frantic screw brought on by emotional strain.

"Patrick," she said gently, pulling back slightly.

Jane looked alarmed, like a child who had been caught stealing from the cookie jar.

"I'm sorry Lisbon, I got carried away. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," said Jane anxiously.

She wondered if he was going to revert to calling her Lisbon every time he panicked about upsetting her. She found it rather endearing actually.

"No, it's fine," she assured him, "It's just that..." she hesitated on how to phrase it.

Jane understood. "I see. So my lady wishes to be courted," he said with his best debonair tone.

Lisbon rolled her eyes, "If you that's how you wanna put it."

"Of course Teresa, it would be my utmost pleasure," Jane said, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to in a gentlemanly fashion.

Admittedly, he was going to have to work a lot harder to impress Lisbon than his usual charms with the ladies. It might take a little magic to sweep his princess off her feet.

He was very much looking forward to this challenge.


	5. A Golden Promise

The third morning of their vacation, Lisbon found Jane hanging a pair of freshly washed, though somewhat ragged light gray socks on the balcony to dry.

Normally he would wash them at night, giving them time to dry by morning. But he hadn't had willpower to leave Lisbon's side last night.

"I think I need to do laundry. I'm running out of fresh clothes," he said.

"Me too," said Lisbon. She furrowed her brows, a question clearly on her mind.

"Uh, Jane—" Lisbon began.

"Patrick," he corrected.

"Patrick," she rectified, "I was wondering, are those the only pair of socks you own?"

Jane shrugged, "There wasn't really a need for socks on the island. To be honest I walked around barefoot most of the time."

"But you need socks now," Lisbon pointed out, "And as far I can tell, you've been wearing the same pair for months. I know you don't care much for material goods, but surely it gets tiring having to wash your socks so often?"

"It's not so much about material goods as it is about sentimental value," said Jane.

"Sentimental," Lisbon repeated doubtfully, "They're just socks."

"Socks that _you_ gave me. No one has given me anything in a very long time. The fact that it is from you makes me cherish them all the more," said Jane.

Lisbon recalled how ridiculously overjoyed Jane had seemed to receive the simple gift. At the time she had thought he was just being dramatic, but he was apparently sincere in his appreciation.

"Oh Patrick," Lisbon said softly, "Nobody really has given you anything have they? You go around and bring smiles to people's faces and no one thinks to give you anything in return."

On the usual occasions that she would think to gift Jane something, such as his birthday or Christmas, he had very vehemently opposed presents, preferring instead to go out for drinks or otherwise enjoy the company of his colleagues. Anyway, she wouldn't even know what to get him. He was not a man who cared for worldly possessions, and at most she would get him some random knick-knack.

Conversely, no one put as much effort and consideration into his gifts as Patrick Jane. She would never forget the time he had surprised her on her birthday with a miniature pony. She was delighted, but was flabbergasted to learn he had bought the pony instead of renting it like she initially thought. He had dismissed her protests against this extravagance by asserting that it was his money and therefore could spend it as he wished. Of course, she couldn't keep the creature in her small apartment, but Jane being Jane had thought this through and arranged for the animal to be lodged at a ranch. While Lisbon loved visiting her present, she had decided he would be of better use somewhere else. At any rate, she couldn't afford to pay for his care, and she refused to depend on Jane's money. Jane knew that Lisbon had the pony moved, but what he didn't know was that she had donated him to a worthy cause. When she saw Apple Sauce, as she had named him, at the countryside orphanage where he currently resided, she knew she had made the right choice.

Only Jane would go to such lengths to grant her childhood wish. Indeed, he had granted the childhood wishes of the entire FBI team, and not one of them had ever thought about doing anything special for him. Forget them, wasn't she supposed to be Jane's best friend?

Jane saw the guilt on Lisbon's face and reached out to stroke her cheek.

"I do get something in return Teresa," Jane said warmly.

"Really? What?" asked Lisbon.

"You said it yourself," he said taking his thumb and forefinger and coaxing Lisbon's mouth into a teeth-baring smile, much like he had when he had been rendered temporarily blind by a bomb blast shock.

He remembered how her lovely face had been the first thing he saw when his vision had been restored, like beacon of light after wandering in the darkness.

"A beautiful smile, what can be better than that?" Jane said happily.

"That's sweet Patrick, but you do need more socks. If I buy more for you will you wear them?" Lisbon.

Jane flashed his brilliant white teeth in delight, "Do you even need to ask?"

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The evening found Jane and Lisbon dressing up, making a second attempt at a romantic dinner.

Lisbon put the finishing touches on her hair and minimal makeup, then stripped out of her day clothes to slip on the vivid pink gown that Jane had insisted she wear. Hopefully this time he'd be able to see her in it for more than five minutes.

Surveying herself in the mirror she noticed a small dark blotch on her skin that had been hidden by her shirt but was exposed by the dress's strapless top. While fading, the particular bruising was unmistakable. She applied some makeup to cover it, but it still showed through a little.

She came out of the bathroom to see Jane adjusting the collar of his shirt in front of the mirror. Tonight he had opted for a dark gray suit with a light green speckled shirt. Even though it was one of those horrible patterned island fabrics, it did redeem itself by bringing out Jane's beautiful eyes. He had shaved, and the sight of his smooth cheeks reminded her of the old Jane from the CBI days. The only thing that was missing was the vest of his three-piece suits.

"What do you think? Do I look good enough to accompany such a beautiful woman to dinner?" Jane asked with a flirty grin.

Lisbon blushed. "Fishing for compliments?" she replied archly.

"Not at all, I am undeserving of having a goddess like yourself on my arm," Jane said smoothly.

"You're really laying the flattery on thick tonight," Lisbon said, "I may even forgive you for giving me a hickey."

Jane's eyes widened and he scanned Lisbon's neck and chest area until he spotted the mark just above her clavicle and by her right shoulder.

"So I did," he said, not at all remorseful.

Seeing the proof of his actions last night gave him a primal sort of satisfaction for having claimed his mate in such a visually apparent manner.

"Mine," Jane said smugly.

He was expecting a snappy retort, but Jane was utterly taken by surprise when Lisbon stepped closer to him, until there was just a whisper of space between them.

"Oh Patrick," she said in a breathy voice, "You're right, I'm _all_ yours." She stroked her hand up and down his chest, then moved to the hollow of the v-neck of the shirt. He had left a couple buttons open and she was taking full advantage of the exposed skin, drawing lazy circles with her finger. Her breath was warm against his neck. His pupils dilated and his breath hitched at her sultry tone and silky touch.

"Teresa," Jane groaned.

"I love the way you say my name," she purred.

"Woman, why are you torturing me?" he asked with a pained expression, furiously biofeedbacking in attempts to control the growing tent in his trousers.  
Lisbon simply smiled wickedly in response. Since last night, she had taken a bit of vindictive pleasure in knowing she could elicit such a reaction from Jane. He deserved a little teasing as payback for all the years of frustration he caused her.

"Come on, we're getting late," she said mischievously as she slipped out the door.

Jane took a few seconds to compose himself. A hint of amusement played on his lips. He should know better than to underestimate Teresa Lisbon. She was a firecracker who could put anyone in their place.

But he was Patrick Jane, she wasn't too hot for him to handle. A quick check to make sure he was fully relaxed, and he followed her out the door.

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Tonight, Jane had arranged for them to dine by candlelight on the terrace. "It's more romantic," he explained.

Lisbon laughed, "I thought you said you wouldn't seduce me over a meal. It was... what was it you said? Oh yeah, _sophomoric_. And wasn't that basically your game plan to keep me from going to D.C.?"

Jane cringed, "Hey. Planning that whole scheme took a great deal more effort than a simple meal."

Lisbon giggled, and Jane was glad that they had reached a point where they could talk about that whole fiasco with laughs instead of tears.

He grinned mischievously, "And as I recall, you said to 'bite me', can I still take you up on that offer?"

Lisbon's eyes narrowed in pretend warning, "Down boy, one mark is enough."

The banter and the smiles continued. So far this dinner was going exceedingly better than the last.

They had just ordered their meals and were enjoying their drinks when Patrick caught a flash of red from the corner of his eye and a masculine voice called out, "Teresa and Patrick! Well, what a surprise!"

Jane internally groaned, _Oh please, not him. Not now..._

The look on Lisbon's face confirmed his fears and he turned to see Walter Mashburn beaming at them in a burgundy button-down shirt and black suit.

"Walter!" Lisbon exclaimed in shock, her tone suddenly several pitches higher.

"Hello Teresa. You look absolutely stunning," the magnetic billionaire said charmingly. He turned to her dining companion, "And it is nice to see you again Patrick."

"Likewise," Jane said, keeping his voice carefully neutral, "What are you doing here Walter?"

"Eh, business dinner, boring stuff. What about you two? Surely the CBI wouldn't send you so far out on a case?" Mashburn asked.

"... Actually, the CBI doesn't exist anymore," Lisbon said after an awkward pause.

"Oh, that's right," Mashburn said smacking his head lightly in awareness, "I saw it on the news, the CBI was dissolved. The head guy was that wacko serial killer, Red John. I was sorry to hear you lost your job Teresa. I was even tempted to call you, to see if you needed any help. But I didn't think you would accept anything from me, even as a friend."

He smirked at Lisbon playfully, but spoke with a sincere tone, "You know, you broke my heart. I was so disappointed when you made it clear it was just a one-time thing between us."

Jane set his wine glass down a little too hard and the liquid sloshed and came dangerously close to spilling. Lisbon looked at him concernedly, worried that the mention of Red John had caused him to be edgy. The public still believed that Gale Bertram was Red John, as Jane had announced at the press conference. The FBI preferred to keep the real identity of Red John, Thomas McAllister, confidential.

In actuality, it was the mention of Lisbon and Mashburn's short affair that irritated Jane. He had known Lisbon had slept with Mashburn, but he was still raw from the whole Pike ordeal and the thought of his love being with other men was like rubbing salt in a wound.

Lisbon wasn't a woman who liked to kiss and tell, but Jane, of course, had guessed it when she strolled in late to office that morning with an unmistakable after-sex glow.

At the time, he had practically pushed Lisbon into Mashburn's arms in a misguided attempt to prove that he didn't think about her in a way that gave him a guilty conscience.  
Concurrently, as a friend, he was playing "wingman" for her. Lisbon deserved to be treated like a princess, and Mashburn certainly had the means to pamper her.

He could see Mashburn was attracted to Lisbon, who wouldn't be? What was interesting was that Lisbon too was drawn to Mashburn, even though she tried to hide it. One wouldn't think Mashburn, with his cocky and cunning personality would appeal to Lisbon. After all, she had to deal with her smart-mouth consultant on a daily basis. She was probably sick of that attitude.

Upon learning about Lisbon and Masburn's hookup, Jane had been happy for his friend, but also suspiciously glad that it wasn't anything serious. He conned himself into denying his true feelings then, but the delayed wave of jealously now hit him full force.

On her end, Lisbon had conflicted feelings about running into her old paramour. It was nice to see Mashburn, but she wished it wasn't in the middle of her date with Jane.  
"Uh, Jane and I are actually with the FBI's Serious Crimes Unit now," she said trying to make conversation.

"Really, FBI?" said Mashburn sounding impressed, "You're working with the big guns now. But that's not surprising. They must have jumped at the chance to hire you."  
Lisbon smiled politely, not wanting to get into the details of how she came to join the FBI.

"So where are you based?" Mashburn asked.

"Austin," she replied.

"Austin, that's nice," he said. He suddenly looked concerned, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I? You guys aren't on some sort of undercover thing, right?"

Lisbon said "No" at the same time Jane gave a firm "Yes", resulting in an uncomfortable moment.

Mashburn was beginning to sense that his presence was unwanted.

Jane had had enough of beating around the bush. There was no reason to not inform Mashburn of his relationship status with Lisbon.

"Actually, we're on our personal time right now," Jane said tersely.

Mashburn looked a little taken aback at Jane's hostile tone. Realization slowly dawned on him.

To drive home the point Jane addressed Lisbon, "Baby, you have something in your hair," he said reaching across the table to pick a non-existing piece of lint from her hair. In the process, he swept her tresses back across her shoulder, exposing the barely concealed hickey and intentionally drawing Mashburn's eyes towards it.

Mashburn's eyebrows furled. "No way. You two...?" he trailed off, too astonished to finish the question.

Lisbon was mortified. She glared daggers at Jane, which he pointedly ignored.

Thankfully, at that moment the waiter arrived with their food.

"Well, you two carry on. It was nice seeing you," Mashburn said hastily, hoping to make a quick exit.

Jane nodded, and Lisbon said a feeble goodbye. Mashburn turned to leave, but after taking a few steps he looked back over his shoulder and said, "Also, congrats and good luck to you both."

He surprised Jane with the genuine congratulations.

"Thank you Walter," he said warmly, apologetic for his behavior. Mashburn smiled then was gone.

"What was that?" Lisbon admonished Jane.

"What?" he said feigning ignorance.

"Don't play innocent with me, there was no need to be rude to Walter," Lisbon scolded.

Jane sighed, "Yeah, okay. I was a little rude. But he was flirting with you and you weren't saying anything to stop him."

Lisbon scoffed, "He was just being friendly. And there's nothing like that between us anymore."

"I see, then you were embarrassed of me," said Jane.

"Don't be ridiculous Patrick," Lisbon said exasperatedly, "Why would I be embarrassed of you?"

"You tell me Teresa. Why else would you hesitate to tell your former lover about us? Either you are embarrassed of me or you still have feelings for him."

"God Jane, you are so infuriating," Lisbon said, slipping back into usage of his last name in her annoyance.

"Look," Lisbon said taking a breath to calm down, "Walter was in my past. I was attracted to him, but that was the extent of my feelings. You're the one that I loved... am in love  
with."

"I'm sorry Teresa," Jane said remorsefully, "I don't know what's wrong with me. You seemed all flustered and my mind just kept flashing back to how you were looking at him in that turtleneck."

"Oh Patrick," Lisbon said softly, "That was years ago. Trust me, I don't think of him like that anymore."

Jane took her hand in his, "I do trust you. And I really am sorry."

Lisbon squeezed his hand tenderly and he took it as a sign of forgiveness.

"Actually, I find your jealousy kind of cute, but you are wrong," Lisbon said smiling.

"Unfortunately, not even I can be right all the time. What am I wrong about?" asked Jane.

"My _switch_. It's not turtlenecks," she replied.

Jane leaned forward, interested. "No? What is it then?"

"Vests."

"Vests?" he repeated perplexedly.

"Suit vests," she clarified.

"Oh, you mean a waistcoat," Jane said.

"Yeah, but waistcoat sounds all hoity-toity. I mean, can you imagine someone saying they get turned on by waistcoats?" Lisbon said.

Jane laughed, "Yeah, you have a point. I guess I'll have to start wearing them again. So just the vest or the whole ensemble?"

"Just the vest. No jacket," she replied.

"No jacket, huh," he said thoughtfully, "Admiring my figure?"

"Maybe," Lisbon said sipping her champagne nonchalantly, but with a sparkle in her eye.

Jane contemplated this revelation. In his fake psychic days, he liked wearing three-piece suits as part of his facade, an additional layer of deceit. While hunting Red John it was an extra piece of armor to hide his vulnerability. When he was inclined to play magician, the vest came in handy to hide things for tricks.

He never quite thought of it as a fashion statement, but if that's what got Lisbon running hot then he was only too willing to oblige.

He wondered if the FBI still had his vests in storage. He had actually shifted most of his clothes to the CBI attic that was basically his living quarters. When the FBI had shut down the CBI and confiscated all their items for "evidence" they had also cleaned out his little attic and all its possessions.

When he was being held isolation for three months, they had brought him his suits, but not his vests, or socks for that matter. That wasn't a problem, he could always buy new vests, Lisbon had him covered on the socks front.

Lisbon's talk about old socks that morning had him thinking that it was high time he updated his wardrobe. His suits were at least fifteen years old and were starting to get ragged. His brown leather shoes were in even worse shape, although he had gotten them resoled. He hadn't had anyone to look good for or impress in a long time, but now he was turning over a new leaf for real. He had let go of everything of his past, these old clothes were among the last few remnants. Plus, he couldn't stand next to Lisbon looking like a hobo. It was decided then, he needed to get new suits, and vests, as quickly as possible. Maybe even some casual clothes while he was at it.

Lisbon could help him with selections for casuals. He had no idea what was in style these days. The way she was eyeing him, no doubt she would love to use him as a model.

"I'm curious though, why vests?" Jane asked.

"I don't know," Lisbon said shrugging, "I guess because it's unique and so characteristically you. Every time I see someone in a suit vest I automatically think of you."

Truthfully, there was nothing she found more sexy than a scheming Jane in his well-fitted vest, shirt sleeves rolled up, catching a suspect in a lie or weaving an intricate con. But no way in hell was she going to tell him that she was actually turned on by his devious side. If he ever found out, he would no doubt tease her relentlessly about having a thing for "bad boys" or something like that.

 _Nope, shouldn't risk it_ , she thought. That particular fetish should be kept to herself.

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They finally got around to eating, and both agreed that their dishes were fantastic.

Dessert soon followed, a couple of slices of a delectable chocolate ganache cake. Lisbon felt content and satisfied, both with the food and the company. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so happy on a date, even with Pike.

After dinner they stood by the railing admiring the view. Dusk was falling and the stars were beginning to glow. The ocean was visible in the near distance, a swirling mass of deep blue.

"It's so beautiful," Lisbon said in awe.

"It is," Jane agreed. He wasn't looking at the scenery, but rather at the woman beside him. She noticed and gave a bashful smile.

"I have something to give you," Jane said.

"A present?" Lisbon asked.

"Sort of. But it's no ordinary gift. It's something very special to me and I want you to have it," said Jane.

"Okay," Lisbon said eagerly, "What is it?"

"Patience," Jane said, "First I need you to do something." He proffered her his empty right hand. "I need you to kiss my palm."

"Patrick," she whined.

"Come on," he said unrelenting, still holding out an open palm.

She bent down and kissed it and he closed his fingers into a fist.

"Thank you," he said, "Once more please."

She rolled her eyes, but placed another kiss on the curled fingers. He opened his fist to reveal his wedding ring.

Lisbon looked at the ring in shock and her eyes flitted to his left hand, where there was nothing but a tan line and a slight circular indentation to indicate where the ring had once been.

"Patrick... You don't need to do this," Lisbon said, deeply touched, but also uncertain at how willingly he had made the gesture.

"I know, I want to do this," Jane said, "Please Teresa, don't refuse."

"Are you sure? Because if this is about our conversation last night, about you not being ready, I need you to know that I believe you. I don't need proof."

"I know," said Jane, "This isn't proof. It's a promise."

"A promise?" Lisbon asked.

"Yes, a promise that I will always be there for you, no matter what. That I will stand by your side and do everything in my power to keep you happy. You were my saving grace Teresa, and I swear, I'm always going to save you."

"Whether I like it or not?" she said playfully, echoing the words he had told when they were trapped inside a shipping crate.

"Whether you like it or not," he confirmed with a smile.

She smiled back and they gazed at each other until a thought made Lisbon's face fall.

"What about your wife? Her memory?" she asked.

"I will always love Angela, ring or no ring. I suppose it's become more of a habit to wear it now. It's been my companion for many years. Sometimes it's less of a comfort and more of a curse that I inflicted on myself, so that I'd never forget my purpose. But that purpose is finished, long dead and buried, and it's high time to close that chapter. You're my purpose now, and I don't want there to be any barriers between us," said Jane.

"You know what Sam Bosco told me in the hospital?" he continued.

Lisbon stiffened at the name of her old friend and colleague. His untimely death was still painful for her to remember.

"You said he told you to look after me," she said.

"True, but I omitted an important part," Jane said, "His exact words were Teresa loves you. Take care of her."

Lisbon's eyes filled with tears. It must have been difficult for Bosco to realize that she was in love with Jane, when he had been love with her himself. Even she hadn't realized the  
extent of her feelings for Jane back then, but her friend had and he wanted her to be happy.

"I haven't been taking very good care of you Teresa. That changes now. You are my priority, and I am going to treat you like it," Jane avowed.

"In that case, I will take this ring and keep it safe," Lisbon said, taking the golden band and slipping it around her thumb as a temporary holding place.

"Thank you," Jane said ardently, "I love you so much."

Lisbon couldn't speak. All she could do to express her feelings was to throw her arms around him and kiss him senseless.

So she did.


	6. All Eyes On You

After dinner Jane insisted they go dancing. The Blue Bird Inn was holding a formal night in their ballroom.

Lisbon had protested at first, and Jane had to talk her into it.

"Come on, Teresa," Jane said, "It'll be fun. We've danced before."

"Yeah, at some high school reunion. I've never felt comfortable at these fancy _soirees_ ," she said, enunciating the last word in a tone of disparagement, "The people are so pompous."

"Those people are no different than the high school crowd if you look closely. And speaking of high school, you never confirmed about the clarinet," said Jane.

"Are you still on that?" Lisbon exclaimed incredulously.

"I am insatiably curious when it comes to you, my love."

"If you're so sure I was lying about the clarinet, why do you need to hear it from me?"

Jane was silent for a few seconds looking contemplative, as if carefully deliberating his next words.

"Because I want you to want to tell me," he said finally, "I was always so sure that I had you pegged, that I knew everything about you, right down to how you think and feel. It never occurred to me how infuriating it must be for you, and that nearly took you away from me from good."

Lisbon pursed her lips, "Well, at least you finally realized that."

" _You_ ," she said tapping her index finger on his chest, "are not a psychic, and I'm not predictable."

"Agreed. I'm sorry for that. From now on, I won't assume anything about you, even the little details like the instrument you played in high school."

She rolled her eyes at his persistence, but couldn't help smiling. She decided to take pity on him.

"Okay, fine. You're right. It was the clarinet. I played the clarinet because my mother played the clarinet in high school. I got her old one after she... passed, because we couldn't afford to buy a new instrument," Lisbon said, swallowing the lump in her throat that always arose whenever her mother was mentioned.

"But it's not what you wanted to play," guessed Jane.

"No," Lisbon said in agreement, "I wanted to learn the alto sax."

He nodded, "A jazz instrument, of course."

It had been Lisbon who recognized Willie Shubert, the once-famous jazz musician, when he was homeless. It wasn't a stretch to assume she had an affinity for jazz music since high school.

"A clarinet is alright for band, and it's used in jazz ensembles, but I always had this dream of playing a solo sax piece," Lisbon said wistfully, "Just for myself."  
"It's still not too late," Jane pointed out.

"Eh, I don't have the time," Lisbon said waving off the idea."You keep me too busy," she said, scrunching her nose at him in mock reproach."

Jane shrugged his shoulders in a "what can you do?" way.

"Thanks for sharing that with me," he said sincerely.

Jane was usually right in his analysis of Lisbon, but it was also true that he had barely dug past the surface layers of her persona. There were parts of herself she kept reserved from everyone, facets of Lisbon even he was unacquainted with. Although he may guess at it, he would never truly know how she felt. Those days were gone where he would trick and manipulate Lisbon into divulging her feelings. He wanted to know everything about her, but he wanted to hear it from her own mouth. He wanted her trust.

"I still have my secrets," Lisbon said, "You have to earn them."

"Indeed I must. You're a woman of many hidden depths Teresa, and I intend to plunge them all."

Lisbon's arousal hit her a second after his words did. She wasn't sure if he meant the statement as a double entendre, but knowing Jane, it was very likely.

As if on cue, Jane gave a killer wink, leaving no doubt of his meaning.

Lisbon was grateful her legs held her up, although they suddenly felt wobbly and unsteady, like a newborn colt.

Why did he have such an overpowering effect on her? Over the years she had learned to resist his so-called charm, knowing full well that it was a ploy to get things that he wanted.

When she had been his boss, it had been easier because she had a sense of responsibility to not let her charge get the best of her. Of course, she still let him get away with outrageous things, but that was because he got things done, and ultimately that's what mattered. Furthermore, she cared about him and his well-being. She saw it as a personal insult when someone insinuated that Jane could charm himself out of getting in trouble with her. The accusations tried to cheapen their relationship somehow, as if she were a mark, not a friend.

She considered his subtle flirtations with her a harmless way of blowing off steam, like their easy banter. They chased after dangerous criminals nearly every day. If they didn't find techniques to lighten their stress, they'd go crazy.

Besides, he was Jane, for all his charisma and appeal he had been untouchable, asexual even.

Now, confronting such direct missives of interest from him, she felt confused and possibly alarmed.

Sex with Jane still seemed like a wild fantasy, and she was certain she was going to continue to be dubious until he made good on his promise to "plunge her depths".  
In the end, she gave in to his coaxing, and they entered the elegant ballroom.

Luckily, a slow song was on and she was able to relax in Jane's arms, swaying gently, head resting on his shoulder like last time they had danced.  
The music changed to an upbeat Latin tune and Lisbon began to move off the dance floor, but Jane stopped her.

"Patrick, I don't know how to do this dance!" Lisbon exclaimed nervously.

"It's just a basic salsa Teresa, I'll show you."

She hesitated.

"I won't let you be embarrassed," he said reassuringly.

She nodded, feeling as if she were about to do a trust fall. One thing was for sure. She was certain that Patrick Jane would always be there to catch her.  
"I'll be the lead and you follow," he said, and proceeded to teach her some simple steps.

As they danced, Jane commanded her, "Okay, just like I showed you. First, I take you backwards. 1, 2, 3, pause at 4... Now come forward with me. 5,6,7, pause at 8... Backwards again, 1,2,3..."

She began to get the basics down and they went faster. He showed her how to do turns. Soon Lisbon found herself energized, moving confidently to the beat of the music.

The whole time, one of Jane's hands gripped possessively at the small of Lisbon's back while the other guided her gently.

"Where did you learn this?" she asked.

"There's some things you pick up with the 'hoity-toity' crowd, as you say. It's a useful skill to impress rich old ladies at their charity balls. The underprivileged children wouldn't be the only ones that benefitted by the end of the night," Jane said slyly.

"Oh my God," Lisbon laughed. As much as she loathed Jane's former profession of swindling money from gullible people, it was too funny imagining him dancing with a  
doddering, wizened heiress for access to her checkbook.

Lisbon felt giddy, drunk on the music and energy of their movements. Only Jane's wonderful hands held her steady, keeping her feet firmly planted on the ground.

Jane was so sensuous in his movements, Lisbon resisted the urge to pull him close and grind her hips against his like a horny teenager.

The other guests glanced at the pair curiously. They weren't the best dancers in the ballroom, but something about the way they moved with each other drew the eyes of onlookers. Woman and men alike gave the couple glances of envy, wishing they were the ones in the arms of the handsome blond man, or twirling the beautiful brunette in her flattering pink gown.

The man steered the woman's steps with such ease, looking at his partner as if she were the most precious thing in the world. The woman had a smile so radiant it put the ballroom's grandiose chandeliers to shame. They were both lost in each other, oblivious to everyone around them.

Jane danced with a purpose, every movement carefree yet calculated to show tender possession. Every step, every turn, every touch with Lisbon screamed _Mine! Mine! Mine!_

Mentioning Sam Bosco in their earlier conversation made him think of how he had once described the man to Lisbon, _"He's very recessive in his passions. Hard to spot that he'd kill and die for you."_

At that time, that description was apt for himself as well. Jane was certainly not going to be recessive anymore. He wanted to shout to the whole world that he loved her, but Lisbon would probably kill him. However, in this moment where she was so delightfully compliant he was going to make sure everyone in the room knew she was his.

Saint Teresa, she really lived up to the moniker. She was so merciful, giving him chance after chance. This time, he'll prove to her that her that her faith wasn't misplaced.


	7. Heat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS RATED A STRONG T FOR SEXUAL SITUATIONS. PART OF THE CONTENT IS RATED M, SO IF THAT'S NOT YOUR THING PLEASE STOP READING WHERE THE M-RATING IS INDICATED AND SKIP TO THE NEXT SECTION. NOTHING VITAL TO THE STORY WILL BE MISSED.

Their night drew to a close, and a very happy Lisbon chatted and laughed with her boyfriend, she was still getting used to that term, on the way back to their suite. 

"That was lovely night Patrick, thank you," Lisbon said sincerely outside the door to their room. 

"Mmhm, you're welcome," said Jane, "But I'm not quite done yet." 

"There's more?"

"Yes. Now close your eyes, no peeking," Jane commanded. 

"Is that really necessary?" Lisbon asked warily. Jane's surprises could really go either way on a scale of "heartwarming" to "oh crap, the boss is not going to like this".

"Absolutely," said Jane, "Come on."

Lisbon closed her eyes reluctantly, muttering, "You are such a child." 

Jane ushered his excited, but cautious girlfriend inside the room. He followed her in, but not before surreptitiously flipping over the door sign to "Do Not Disturb".

"Open your eyes," Jane whispered in her ear. 

Lisbon complied and gasped at the scene in front of her. The room had been completely transformed in their absence. 

The space twinkled with small golden lights made to look like candles. Big bouquets of deep red roses, some closed bud and some in bloom, had been set in various locations. A few rose petals were artfully scattered on the bed. Even some of the decor had been changed, the bedding and curtains were now a matching crimson and white satin. The air had been spritzed with a heady stimulating scent, Lisbon guessed rose and lavender, with maybe jasmine was in the mix somewhere, completing the romantic atmosphere. 

Jane hummed in approval, "They've done an excellent job. I wish we could have had real candles, but you know, fire hazard. I'll be sure to leave housekeeping a big tip." He turned to Lisbon, "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful... But you didn't have to go all out. Dinner was wonderful in itself," she said, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"You said it yourself Teresa, seducing you over a meal is far too sophomoric for my style." 

After ogling the room some more, the first thing Lisbon did was to put Jane's wedding ring in a secure location. She put it in a special pouch she used to store her mother's locket. It felt right that the two most sentimental keepsakes she had be kept together. 

The task being done, she turned her attention back to Jane, who a minute ago had seemed so self-confident, was now as pallid an awkward teenage boy about to ask the head cheerleader to the high school prom. 

The innuendo-filled dialogue, the smoldering looks, and the jazzed-up suite could leave no doubt in Lisbon's mind about Jane's intentions for tonight. But now that the moment was finally here, Jane was horrified to discover that he was getting cold feet. 

It had been a very long time since Jane had truly been with anyone. The last person had been his wife. His brief tryst with Lorelei Martins hardly counted. She was just a means to an end, an important connection to Red John. Sex with her had been mechanical, uninspired. That simply wouldn't do for Lisbon. He wanted to dazzle her, make her feel like no man had done before, but what if he was too out of practice? 

He wasn't as young as he used to be either. What he didn't have the stamina to keep up with his partner?

Lisbon sensed his apprehension. She went to him, laying a hand on his arm soothingly. 

"Hey. It's okay, we don't have to rush anything. I'm happy just to be with you," she said gently, exquisite emerald eyes looking upon him with affection and understanding.  
It only made Jane feel worse for denying her what she yearned for.

"I'm sorry Teresa, I do want to do this. It's just been so long, I don't know if I can," he said miserably. 

Lisbon hid the pang of disappointment she felt. 

"Oh? No wild flings with local island girls?" she said teasingly, trying to lift his spirits with some banter. 

_My sweet Teresa_ , Jane thought, _So generous, so sacrificing._ He played along for her sake.

"Nope. My horrendous Spanish drove them all away I'm afraid. How about you, have any paramours in Cannon River in my absence?"

"I went on a couple dates with different guys. Unfortunately, they were perfectly nice, normal men who weren't obnoxious smartasses. They just couldn't thrill me," Lisbon, pretending to sigh dramatically. 

Jane mulled over the irony that Lisbon had been about to marry an apparently nice, normal person. Had he damaged her heart so much that no other man could mend it? Would she have ever found true love if he wasn't in her life? On one hand, it was narcissism to think that way, on another, he was scared at how close he had come to wrecking both their lives with his cowardice. If he hadn't spoken up, Lisbon would have married Pike, bought a nice house with him, probably try for a kid or two as well. And she would be content, if not truly happy. Maybe that would have been enough for her, or maybe it would end up ruining her marriage. Meanwhile, he would waste away with grief, until he would be of no use to anyone, even Abbott. 

"Did Pike thrill you?" Jane couldn't help asking.

Lisbon's smile faded.

"No," she admitted, "Things with him were nice. And sometimes just nice is okay, but at some point it gets..." 

"Boring?" Jane prompted.

Lisbon smirked, "Marcus keeps it simple. Nothing particularly exciting about anything." 

_Including in bed_ was the unspoken addendum that Jane picked up on. 

While the primitive male in him was gloating that his mate had found his rival's performance lacking, he really didn't want to think of that fact that another man's touch was still fresh in her mind. Even involuntarily, she would compare the two experiences, and he definitely didn't want to be the one who came up short. Lower than "nothing particularly exciting" would be death-blow to his self-confidence. 

"Teresa, I would love to make you feel the way you deserve, but I'm not sure if I can live up to your expectations," Jane said cautiously. 

Lisbon rolled her eyes, "Patrick, I know you have a tremendous ego, but I assure you, I did not build you up in my mind as some sort of sex god." 

"No? You imagined the sex to be bad?" 

"Of course not. The sex was always great—"

Seeing his salacious grin, Lisbon realized that she just admitted to fantasizing about Jane. 

"Hey!" she exclaimed, smacking him in the chest.

Jane winced, rubbing at the painful area, "Ouch. Careful woman, you're no delicate flower."

"You deserve it," she said huffily, starting to walk away. 

Jane grabbed her arm before she could get too far, abruptly whirling her around so that she nearly bumped into him. 

"What are you doing? Let go," she scolded.

Jane ignored her, offering a confession of his own instead, "Would it make you feel better if I told you I thought about you too?"

"Really?" Lisbon said in amazement. She cringed at how naive that sounded, even to her own ears. She cleared her throat to cover her embarrassment, "You mean to say, you thought about us doing that?" 

"Haven't I told you I've always been attracted to you? Sometimes even my self-control ran out. And well, I am a man with needs," he said matter-of-factly, as if he were announcing the weather, not revealing something deeply personal.

Lisbon blushed, inadvertently picturing Jane touching himself late at night with visions of her in his head, just as she had done thinking of him. 

"What did you imagine?" she asked shyly, wondering to what extent she could make his fantasy a reality.

A sultry brunette, clad in a slinky red gown undulated her hips against him knowingly. "Come on, Patrick, I know you want me. Let me take care of you," she crooned. And so he willed the hand that gripped his rock-hard flesh to be hers, shedding the guilt and shame for using her likeness for such a crass act. 

Jane frowned, "I don't want this to be like how I imagined. When I thought about it, I deliberately avoided scenarios with any real intimacy. It was simply a hedonistic escape, and the Lisbon I pictured was no more than stranger with your face. She didn't have your warmth and your smile. She was just a temptress I surrendered my body to. My dreams, however, were a different story. In my dreams, I didn't just give in to lust, I made love to you."

Jane awoke in a cold sweat, as if from a nightmare. The scenes conjured by his sleeping brain were still fresh in his mind. His arms, which a moment ago had been clasping his partner, felt empty, though in reality she had never been there in the first place. He could still feel the softness of her skin and the tingle of her breath when she had whispered sweet nothings in his ear. It was times like these, when he woke up in his bed alone, he wished that he had been having the nightmare instead. 

"Those dreams, they pained me because they felt real. Not just the physical part, but all the emotions that came with it. In there, I was free to pour my heart out to you. I can't tell you how what a relief it was to release everything I had held inside for so long, in fear of losing you. But when I would wake up and realize that nothing of the sort had happened, I would break all over again." 

"You can still be healed Patrick, one day," Lisbon said looking at him with hopeful eyes, "And I'll be right here by your side until then." 

He gazed back at her and Lisbon felt like time stopped. Never before had anyone looked at her with such devotion. It was almost worshipful. 

Jane made up his mind. He had made himself and Lisbon wait far too long already. He wasn't going to make them wait another minute. 

He suddenly picked her up bridal style, and a startled Lisbon instinctually threw her arms around his neck. 

Lisbon yelped, "Jane! What are you doing—"

"Hush," he said, in a tone that she had never heard him use before. It was rough and husky, and the sound stirred something primal in her core.  
His expression matched his tone in emanating raw, undisguised sexual desire. She shuddered at the intensity of it, her own body responding in a want so fierce she could feel it coursing through her in hot waves. 

Jane carried her to the bed, struggling a little with the load. 

"Geez, for someone so small you sure are heavy," he complained.

A miffed Lisbon opened her mouth in retort, but before she could say anything she was startled by Jane throwing her roughly onto the soft mattress, which cushioned the fall. She landed with an undignified "Oomph" and glared at him. 

He chuckled in an enticingly deep throaty manner, and she forgot to be mad at him. 

He got on behind her and pushed her hair out of the way to survey the fastener, a simple zipper, on the back of the dress.

Partially unzipping the gown, Jane marveled at the smooth, creamy expanse of Lisbon's back, dotted with lovely constellations of light brown freckles. She was a vanilla sundae  
with chocolate sprinkles and he wanted to lap it all up. 

"You aren't wearing a bra." It was a simple statement, but Jane said it with such amazement that it made Lisbon smile. 

"You think I can wear a normal bra in this dress? Besides, it's not like I planned to be in a strapless evening gown on a case," she said laughingly. 

In response, Jane simply tugged the tab of zipper all the way to the end and the sophisticated clothing fell away. In a few gentle motions, he pushed Lisbon down on her stomach, and pulled the dress off entirely, tossing it carelessly aside. He then flipped her over, eager to see his beloved's body in all its naked glory. 

Lisbon suddenly felt shy, snatching up the sheet to cover herself before Jane could get a good look. What was wrong with her? She never felt this embarrassed while undressing for the first time with her previous partners. 

"Sorry, I'm just nervous," she explained, hoping it didn't sound silly. 

Jane smiled understandingly, "It's alright Teresa. Perfectly normal. Taking off my clothes in front of you that first day was nerve-wracking." 

"Oh please, Patrick," Lisbon said skeptically. The thought of Jane being insecure about his looks seemed ludicrous to her.

"I'm serious here," Jane protested, "I mean, I'm not too shabby for an old man, but I'm definitely not in top shape. I was afraid you'd be... disappointed."

Lisbon was surprised. So his agonizingly slow removal of clothing that day was not a seduction technique, but genuine nervousness. 

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about," Lisbon said firmly, "Though, I've been wondering. Do you work out?"

"Just some swimming. The FBI pool is pretty nice for a dip, but nothing compared to the open ocean," Jane said reminiscing of his island. Swimming and enjoying the natural beauty of the beach was one of the few ways he could curb the loneliness. The exercise was a nice additional benefit. 

Jane smiled ruefully, "I'm afraid I'm still a touch vain from my psychic days," he said putting a sarcastic emphasis on the word psychic, "This face has helped me con a lot of people. Even now it's a useful method of getting information. Though I've lost most of my motivation for grooming and personal appearance. I guess I'm lucky to have been graced with good genes." 

"Then it must please you to still be ogled by scores of ridiculously attractive women," Lisbon said somewhat passive-aggressively.

Jane was pleased to note the hint of jealously in Lisbon's tone. He didn't mean to deliberately annoy her, but he liked knowing she was a little possessive of him. It signified that she considered him to be hers. 

"Scores is definitely an overstatement. Especially when you consider that many of those women were criminals trying to gain my confidence or vice-versa," Jane pointed out.  
Lisbon's mind flashed to Lorelei, Erica Flynn, and more recently, Krystal Markham. Which reminded her, she was still slightly peeved at Jane for not informing her of his plans for Krystal until the last minute, leaving her to bubble with jealousy as he made plans for his date with her. 

"Yes, hitting on beautiful women must be such a tedious part of your job," she quipped sardonically, turning her head to the side in an attempt to obscure her sulky expression.  
When it came to seduction, Jane was like an expert fisherman, using his charm and looks as bait to lure the prey in. Most of the time, the mark fell for it hook, line, and sinker. But he had met his match in Erica Flynn. Being familiar with the technique herself, the pretty sociopath was able to turn the tables on Jane and give him the slip. 

"Teresa," Jane said, determinedly pushing her chin with his fingers until she was facing him again, "I've only been genuinely attracted to two women in my life. Angela, and you." 

"And don't act like you haven't had plenty of admirers yourself," he said.

"A few here or there hardly make a difference," Lisbon said dismissively. 

"That's because the rest are too scared to approach someone so drop-dead gorgeous," Jane countered. He also bet his presence had a hand in driving men away who assumed he and Lisbon were lovers. 

"You could drive anyone wild. I'm not just saying that because I'm madly in love with you." Jane pulled up and turned her toward the floor length mirror by the side wall. 

"Look at yourself, can you see what I see?"

Lisbon looked, then stared in wonder. 

Before her, was a vision of beauty, radiant with the knowledge of being loved. Her reflection gazed back at her, demure but alluring, and dare she say, rather sexy.  
Never before had Lisbon felt so beautiful, and it was all because of the amazing man next to her. 

She felt petty about the unnecessary jibes she had taken at him. It was time to make it up to him. 

She took a breath and dropped the sheet, and Jane was greeted with the sight of Lisbon's naked mirror image. He gaped in awe, and she turned to him so he could see the real thing.

It wasn't often that Patrick Jane was rendered speechless. In this moment, neither words were coming to him, nor thoughts were forming that could describe the effect Lisbon had on him. 

The faux candlelight gave a warm golden glow to her full, round breasts and illuminated the dusky rose nipples. Further down, the Glock holstered to her bare thigh was a dark contrast to the fair skin, as were the silky black panties. 

"Really?" Jane said, raising an eyebrow and gesturing to the gun, once his cognitive faculties returned to him.

She shrugged, "An officer of the law should always be prepared, and I didn't bring a purse."

"Okay, but can you take it off now? I know you're the poster child of the NRA, but it would be a little weird for me," Jane said.  
Lisbon laughed and obligingly removed the weapon, setting it on the dresser.

Jane made her lean against the pillows and surveyed every inch of her form, even the innocuous parts such as the outline of her collarbone, the crook of her elbow, the curve of her hip, committing it all to his memory palace. 

He then focused on the glossy and somewhat sheer material covering the last unexposed patch of her body. It was pretty with a bit of lace design. Skimpy for Lisbon's taste, but leaving just enough to the imagination to be enticing in Jane's opinion. 

"Ter-re-sa," Jane said, drawing her name out with relish, as if savoring every syllable. "You little minx, you went lingerie shopping. That's why you didn't want me to know what was in the bag," he said gleefully. 

"How did you..." Lisbon started disconcertedly. 

Jane's eyes were alight with amusement, "Special Agent Lisbon, you are a sensible woman who wears sensible clothing, especially on a case. I have no doubt that that extends to your underwear."

Lisbon slumped down in embarrassment. Nothing got past Jane. 

"Okay, but it's not what you think. I was just stocking up on underwear. I didn't plan to be here all week," she said rather defensively.

"What," she exclaimed, abashed at the amused expression on Jane's face. 

"You are so cute when you're flustered," he said, pressing a gentle peck on her lips. 

"I love it. You look amazing. You would look amazing even in granny panties," he declared.

"Seriously? Granny panties?" Lisbon said derisively. 

"Okay maybe not, but you know what I mean. You are always beautiful to me Teresa, whether it's in lingerie or an oversized jersey." 

Or nothing at all... His unspoken thought conveyed by his hungry eyes. 

Jane pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her neck, one hand situated on her lower back, the other slowing creeping down from the base of her neck. 

He ran his dexterous fingers down her spine, eliciting a shiver and a low moan from Lisbon. He felt the heat emanating from her body on his fingertips, as well as the heat blossoming inside him, spreading infectiously until his entire being burned with passion.

"That's not fair," Lisbon said.

"Hm? What's not fair?" Jane asked absently, too engrossed in feeling her skin. 

"Here I am, practically naked, and you haven't even taken off your jacket."

"Well, I will rectify that immediately," said Jane, shrugging off the jacket and tossing it aside like the dress on the floor. His hands then went to his shirt buttons, but Lisbon stopped him. 

"You got to undress me, it's only fair I get to do the same," she said. 

Jane immediately relinquished the task to Lisbon's very able fingers and the garment soon joined the jacket and dress, along with his trousers and belt. 

The last items of clothing Lisbon removed were Jane's socks, which she smiled at fondly before discarding them.

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WARNING: M-RATED MATERIAL AHEAD

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Jane's attention firstly went to Lisbon's breasts. They were breath-taking, as well as fit perfectly in his hands. He took a pert nipple, already hardened by desire, rolling his fingers round it. He gave it a gentle squeeze, causing Lisbon to gasp out in pleasure. An experimental lick was received with great enthusiasm, and he proceeded to make her moan as his talented mouth sucked and nipped at the sensitive bud. The other one received equal attention.

He moved his hands next to the soft cheeks of her behind, groping them to his heart's content. He had been dreaming about feeling that supple rump for what seemed like ages. He had tortured himself with years of laying on the couch, in a perfect position to watch those round globes sashaying as Lisbon walked away from him. He had even managed to cop a quick feel when he had lost his memory. He had a fuzzy recollection of exactly what had happened during his time in a fugue and great chunks of it were missing altogether, but the remembrance of that particular touch had forever been burned into his brain. He had been far too mortified to apologize to Lisbon, so he simply pretended he didn't remember. 

Lisbon blossomed under his expert touch, stimulated in ways she hadn't thought was possible in the first night with a man. With Jane, there was none of the awkwardness of being with a new lover. He touched her like they had already belonged to each other for ages. 

"My turn," Lisbon said, eager to do some exploring of her own. 

She put her hands on Jane's chest, marveling at how tiny they looked against his body. Her hands began to travel the broad length of his chest, loving the feel of his smooth skin with only a trace of peach fuzz. His body, like his mind, was unlike any other man she had been with. His insecurities were baseless, because to her, he was perfection. She slid her hands across his chest, waist, shoulders until they finally reached the taut muscles of his back. Slowly they crept down his back and reached his finely sculpted buttocks, which was every bit as firm and shapely as his well-fit trousers had suggested. 

She peppered kisses all across his torso as she continued feeling him up from behind. Then she brought her hands forward to stroke his thighs, barely skimming his crotch. Jane gritted his teeth, suppressing a growl that spoke of his impatience. He planned on giving it to her slow and gentle, but in actuality he wasn't sure how much longer he could restrain himself from simply pinning her to the bed and having his wicked way with her. 

Lisbon was very aware of his condition. It was impossible to not notice the enormous peak of his erection, straining to escape the confines of his boxers, and the way his hands clenched at the sheets. With a sly look, she slipped her hand into the waistband of his underwear and gripped the appendage, noting its considerable girth with pleasure, and began caressing the head with her thumb. She could feel trickles of lubrication running off the tip like dewdrops. 

Jane raptly watched this new side of Lisbon, the naughty vixen he had gotten a glimpse of earlier this evening, with a mixture of awe and lust. Well two could play at that game.  
Jane's hand brushed the outline of Lisbon's sex, still covered by the lacy lingerie. She gasped, stilling her ministrations. 

"Wet, absolutely soaking wet," Jane said grinning wolfishly, dipping his finger into her panties. 

He tugged down the scrap of clothing, hanging it on the bed post. Lisbon had gone limp, letting him take control.

Jane admired her plump pink vulva, covered with wisps of carefully groomed, short mahogany hairs. 

He wondered if it would be too forward of him to put his mouth on her for their first time. He decided to save that particular activity for another occasion, settling on pleasuring her with his hand. Soon he had Lisbon writhing and bucking her hips as he pumped her with two fingers. Once he found the swelled knot of her clitoris, Lisbon came undone in a matter of seconds, her closed eyes scrunched up as loud wails of delirious pleasure escaped her mouth.

Jane sat back, triumphant. Still got it, he thought smugly. 

"You are so beautiful Teresa, I could watch you come again and again," he said lovingly. 

When Lisbon had recovered sufficiently from her almost violent orgasm, she snaked her arms around Jane, pulling him in for a passionate kiss. While he was preoccupied with her mouth she slipped his boxers down, exposing himself to her. 

Jane broke their kiss to pull off the undergarment, and finally they were both laid completely bare to each other. 

Lisbon devoured him with her eyes and he was pleased to note the arousal returning in her widened pupils. 

"Uh, condoms?" Jane asked, hating to break the delicious tension with a practical question, but it needed to be done. He was ready to give Lisbon everything of himself, but he wasn't prepared to be a father again. Yet. 

"You have some?" Lisbon questioned. 

Jane nodded.

He had bought some in anticipation of going through with his original plan to seduce her so thoroughly, she wouldn't even think of leaving. The thought now made him shameful, the packet of condoms stowed away in his suitcase felt like dirty contraband. 

"I'm on the pill. I usually also use condoms to be safe, and I'm clean. But it's— it's like you said," Lisbon said, trying not to fumble over her words, "I don't want there to be any barriers between us."

Jane could feel his hardened member pulsating, desperate to fill her with his essence. He too wanted to surrender himself to her completely. He had made walls of glass to separate himself from Lisbon. She had been right in front of him, but not his to have. Silence was their choice of language, expressing with their eyes what their mouths could not say. But they were fragile walls, and had shattered the moment they first kissed. He found their mental connection to be a beautiful thing. However, tonight, he wanted sighs and moans, maybe even screams and swears, anything but silence. He was going to make her forget that Marcus Pike, and all of her previous lovers, even existed. 

Jane gently parted Lisbon's creamy thighs and posited himself before her, waiting for her indication. 

Lisbon had a momentary panic attack from the sheer disbelief that this was actually happening, her heart beating rapidly and breathing becoming heavy. 

"It's alright, sweetheart. It's alright. Only if you're ready," it was his turn to assure her, let her know that he was willing to wait. He wanted a lifetime with her, not just this night. 

Lisbon composed herself, "I'm ready," she said firmly, "I want you now Patrick."

That was all the permission he needed. He took himself in hand and guided the tip to her moist entrance, only pausing briefly to archive the precious moment in this memory palace before slipping into her. 

Lisbon's breath caught in her throat, and she gave a breathy moan, encouraging Jane on. He pulled back slightly before giving a mighty thrust, sheathing himself in her completely. Her slick walls were fluid and accommodating, enveloping him in a hot, tight grip. 

The ecstasy ignited him, consumed him. He didn't believe in heaven, but he did, it couldn't be as blissful as being joined with Lisbon, body and... he was inclined to say soul, though he didn't believe in that either. 

Lisbon's legs wrapped around Jane's hips and he leaned down to kiss her again. Soon he was moving inside her, finding a rhythm that suited them both. When he sensed she was on edge, his thrusts became more forceful and maybe rougher than he had intended, but judging by Lisbon's shrieks it was what she needed. 

When Lisbon climaxed for a second time, it was with cries of "Patrick!" on her lips. Jane nearly lost control right there and then, but the sweet sound of Lisbon screaming his name motivated him to continue pumping through her orgasm. 

Lisbon's elation knew no bounds. She was soaring on the euphoric feeling, but more so knowing it was Jane who made her this way. As she slowly came down from her high, Jane let himself go. 

He went stock still, then bellowed her name as he came, like the proverbial bursting of the dam. He shuddered and groaned as the aftershocks continued propelling streams of his warm seed into her core, the excess spilling down her thighs.

Jane collapsed on top of Lisbon, utterly spent and still embedded deep in her body. She cradled his head, fingers digging into his soft curls as he buried his face in her neck, panting heavily. Even in this exhausted state, he was mindful not to crush her under his full weight, propping himself up slightly on his elbows. 

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OKAY, M-SECTION DONE, READ ON.

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They remained clasped together until the heat generated by their passionate coupling became unbearable, and Jane finally got off of her to let their bodies cool off momentarily.  
They took turns brushing stray rose petals off each other's bodies and hair. While aesthetically pleasing, the petals were kind of messy Lisbon thought, as she peeled off the flower bits that had been pressed into her body. Jane seemed to be having the same thought as he grimaced while swiping haphazardly at a particularly stubborn petal that clung to a hard to reach spot on his upper back. Lisbon giggled and plucked it off for him, whereupon they rejoined in a tight cuddle, reluctant to be bereft of each other's touch for long. 

Lisbon's head was tucked in under Jane's chin, a sense of serenity within her. 

As contrived as it sounded, sex was different with someone you loved. She realized that now. 

She felt a wetness down her cheek. _Am I crying?_

In between the shyness, panic, and tears she felt like "good Catholic girl" Reese losing her virginity all over again. But unlike that time, afterwards she felt no guilt or shame, only bliss. 

Jane was being very quiet, which worried Lisbon. 

"Patrick?" she called softly, moving her head to look at him. His watery eyes were gleaming, tracks of liquid visible on his face. With a jolt, she realized he was crying as well.

They laughed at their shared state. Lisbon wiped Jane's tears and he kissed away hers. 

"I love you Patrick," Lisbon said, voice cracking from emotion. 

"And I love you Teresa, always," Jane returned with equal fervor. 

Lisbon felt content and secure, limbs tangled up with Jane's, so close she could feel his chest rise up and down as he breathed. 

"So, was that thrilling enough for you? How do you feel?" Jane asked, although he was pretty certain of her answer from the sounds she had made during their lovemaking. 

Lisbon grinned broadly, "Titanic."

"Titanic?"

"I'm flying!" she giggled, in an exaggerated imitation of the female lead from the aforementioned blockbuster movie. 

Jane laughed, not just a chuckle, or a polite, pretend laugh, but a genuine sound of happiness and mirth. 

"Thank goodness you're a cop, not an actress," he teased. 

Lisbon didn't mind, she would take a thousand jokes at her expense to hear Jane laugh like that again. 

"What about you?" she asked. 

Jane raised his arms in mock celebration, "I'm the king of the woooorld!"

They laughed together until Lisbon rolled onto Jane, straddling him. 

Jane's breath hitched, looking up at Lisbon perched on him "cowgirl" style. 

"And is the king of the world always on top?" Lisbon asked mischievously. 

"Not if his queen wants him on bottom."

"She does," she informed him, asserting her claim over his lips and heart again.


	8. The Language of Flowers

Lisbon woke up half tangled in soft, expensive cotton sheets and the limbs of her beautiful lover.

They made love three times last night, which for her was a personal record. She was usually uninterested to continue by the time the second round was over. But Jane had always been _very_ persuasive. Not that she was complaining about it. At all.

A golden tendril curled over his forehead. Lisbon toyed with it casually. Jane stirred, but did not wake. God, she loved his hair. She often had the urge to touch it, like a crow that couldn't resist something shiny. Last night she had combed her fingers through it to her heart's content and it was every bit as soft and luscious as she had imagined.

Lisbon sat up, deciding it was time to get the day started. She had just swung her legs over the side of the bed when two toned arms suddenly ensnared her waist and Jane's husky voice whispered in her ear, "leaving without even a good morning kiss?"

Lisbon slipped out of his grip easily, though she regretted the delicious feeling of Jane's warm breath caressing her skin. "No, you probably have morning breath."

Jane stuck his tongue at her good-naturedly, which made Lisbon think about how good he was at utilizing it. 

Jane's broad talented tongue had made love to her mouth as thoroughly as he had made love to her body. Though she should have realized its erotic potential. All those years of watching Jane devour ice cream had... aroused certain feeling despite her best efforts to ignore them. He innocently lapped up the sweet creamy treat without realizing how sensual it was.

Her fantasy was Jane. She desperately wanted to fulfill some fantasy of his.

She remembered his excitement when she had gotten on top, taking control of him with her hips.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind she heard a voice, more specifically, a memory of Jane.

"I like it when you get all authoritarian on me."

Hmm. Now there was a thought.

"Get up," she ordered.

Jane looked up at her wide-eyed. Why was Lisbon talking to him in that tone? It was a tone he had only heard before when she was talking to perps. Lisbon was small, but she could make perps twice her size cower in fear. As well as bring them to their knees. He loved watching her tackle and bring down a baddie that underestimated her. He found it rather sexy in a way. 

"You've been dirty Mr. Jane, very dirty. You need be cleaned. Go get in the shower and get the hot water running. Then wait for me."

Jane nearly became slack-jawed at her statement. What had just happened?

"Hurry up," Lisbon said, bringing more command in her voice, "I want that water nice and steaming by the time I get there, or I'm not getting in, and you'll have to take a cold shower."

Jane leaped up and practically raced into the bathroom. Whatever mood Lisbon seemed to be in, he was definitely up for it!

Lisbon looked after his bare backside in motion and smirked. This was going to be fun.

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After a leisurely and pleasurable morning, Jane and Lisbon spent much of the afternoon browsing the local shops. Jane still wanted to send Grace a token of his appreciation for her conviction in him, so they headed to a flower and gift shop that was recommended by the concierge.

Lisbon idly browsed some flower arrangements as Jane placed his order.  

"Yes, next-day delivery. Perfect," Jane finished his transaction and looked around for Lisbon.

"Picking out the wedding flowers already?" Jane's amused tone called behind her. She jumped, startled, and turned to face him.

Lisbon's heart pounded, both from his sudden appearance and his comment. She glanced at the placard in front of the display. They were indeed wedding flowers. 

_Oh._ Did Jane think she was desperate to get settled because of how she had jumped into her relationship with Pike? That wasn't true. She was so relieved just to get to this stage with Patrick that she was okay with keeping things as they were for a while. Or maybe... Maybe she _was_ ready to move things along, if that's what he wanted too. Tiny frown lines appeared around Lisbon's face. Already she was confused about the future of this relationship. It was best not to get ahead of herself.

"I, uh... I was just looking. Didn't realize they were wedding bouquets," Lisbon stammered.

Jane was immediately contrite when he realized she felt embarrassed.

"Don't worry, I was just teasing you," he reassured her.

But in the back of his mind, Jane couldn't deny he was a bit curious on how Lisbon felt on the subject of marriage. Realistically, they had been a couple for two days. He had only removed his old wedding ring the night before. Yes, he was ready to commit to her for the rest of his life, but he didn't want to jump the gun. And yet, the thought of Lisbon as a blushing bride, _his_ bride, was mesmerizing.

For a moment he let his mind trail off into a beautiful day dream... he was standing beneath the alter as his angel walked down the aisle in heavenly white.

Jane liked the idea of Lisbon in a white dress, though he knew any color would look gorgeous on her. There was something in the simplicity and quiet elegance of white that evoked his sweet Teresa.  Normally, he was a fan of vivid, eye-catching colors, perhaps because they were reminiscent of his carnie past. If they didn't seem so outlandish on him he would wear bright colors himself. Mingling with high society as part of his psychic con demanded a more refined dressing sense and over the years he had simply become accustomed to it, bar his recent stint with the island dweller/FBI agent combo look.  

As for Lisbon's fashion sense, it was rather understated, but she could be a knockout when she wanted to impress. Unfortunately, the majority of the time she preferred dull neutrals and shapeless suits, as she believed it made her look more professional. Lately though, he had been noticing a subtle change in Lisbon's style, even at work. She wore more form-fitting blouses, shoes somewhat less sensible, makeup a bit more noticeable. He assumed it was a side-effect of dating Pike. One of the few-side effects of that relationship that he didn't mind. 

That brought his mind back to the topic of weddings.

 "So, hypothetically, which one would you pick?" Jane asked Lisbon in reference to the bouquets.

Lisbon was about to roll her eyes and tell Jane to knock it off, but his face seemed so earnest, and it was an innocent enough question.

"Erm, I'm not sure. I've never thought about it much."

"Oh come on Teresa, every little girl has thought about their perfect wedding."

"Not every little girl," Lisbon said defensively,

"Okay, okay," Jane acquiesced, with a quirk of his lips that said he wasn't about to let it go that easily.

"Let me help you then. Do you prefer a more classic theme or modern? Maybe even a vintage style?"

"Was wedding planning your side business?" Lisbon quipped sardonically, "I must have missed that in your file."

Jane chuckled, "No, but I have had plenty about-to-be newlywed clients stressing over their wedding decorations. Unfortunately, they figured a psychic was close enough to a therapist. I had to listen to one women vent for three hours straight. She wanted me to get in contact with her dead grandmother to get her opinion on the wedding dress, whether she should have the venue at a resort or the beach, and-"  

"And that's why I've never bothered," Lisbon muttered under the breath. But Jane ignored her, and was already keenly browsing the selections.

"How about these?" Jane said pointing to a lovely display of homogenous long-stemmed six-petal white flowers with protruding stamens.   

The placard read: _Casa Blanca Lilies_

Lisbon wrinkled her nose. "No thanks," she said. She was done with 'Casablanca' and that whole miserable episode. Now that she was no longer stuck between two men, it was time to move on.

"Did you know, white lilies are considered good flowers for a bride-to-be? They stand for chastity and virtue," Jane stated factually.

Lisbon snorted, "A little late for that don't you think?"

"I think you are virtuous Teresa. You are certainly more pure than me," Jane said quietly.

Lisbon reached out and took Jane's hand in hers.

"Stop it," she said sternly, "We've all done things that we're not proud of. But you've more than made up with it by bringing closure to so many people. Only a strong person can help others with healing when they're wounded themselves."

Jane smiled, "I owe a lot of that strength to you."

"And don't you forget it," Lisbon said cheekily. Then she saw it, the perfect bouquet.    

"You know, I think a bit of color would look good against my gown," she said gesturing behind him.   

Jane turned and saw what she was looking at, a vibrant bouquet of composed mainly of violets. He grinned.

"Blue violets, for faithfulness. Excellent choice. Might I ask why though?" he asked.

Lisbon shrugged, "I don't know, I was thinking of that story you told, about Manet's painting. The violets that symbolized his secret love. I guess it struck a chord."

"Struck a chord with me too," said Jane, "Amazing how being able to read other people doesn't prevent you from being blind to yourself sometimes."  

"Denial is a powerful force," said Lisbon, "Believe me, I know."

They smiled at each other with a knowing look.

"So, split an ice cream sundae?" Jane asked.

"Patrick, we just had a big lunch," said Lisbon.

"I'm not hearing a no..." Jane said in a sing-song voice.

Lisbon caved, "Alright come on."

As it turns out, they were more interested in tasting each other than the ice-cream.

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It was already evening by the time Jane and Lisbon returned to their hotel. Before they could go upstairs, the receptionist called to them, "Mr. Jane! Glad, I caught you. You have a letter from a Mr. Walter Mashburn."

"From Mashburn?" Lisbon said looking surprised, "Wonder what that's about."

"Only one way to find out," Jane said, tearing open the envelope. Out came a note and picture of what appeared to be a yacht docked at a marina.

_Dear Patrick and Teresa,_

_It was quite a pleasure running into you both yesterday. I'm very pleased to see how happy you are with each other. I apologize for crashing your date yesterday. To make it up to you, please feel free to make use of my private yacht for the duration of your stay. The address is written on the back of the picture, as well as the phone  number of my captain. Give him a ring anytime you feel like a boat ride and he'll oblige. Again, my heartiest congratulations to you both. You both deserve it._

_With best regards,_

_Walter_

"I have to say, the man is quite a charmer. How gracious of him," Jane commented.  

 Lisbon raised an arched eyebrow in surprise, "You seemed to have changed your tune quite a bit from last night. What's with the sudden affection for Mashburn?"

"I wouldn't go as far to call it affection, but yes, I've decided that I may have been a bit discourteous to our old friend," Jane replied.

" _Old friend?_ Wow, okay. Say what you want, but I'm sensing a bit of a bromance here," Lisbon teased.

Jane scoffed, but Lisbon thought it was rather telling that he averted his eyes.

She studied the picture, "Nice boat."

"Should I call up-" Jane checked the back of the picture, "Captain Orly and schedule and outing for tomorrow?"

"I don't know, I get kind of seasick," Lisbon said.

 "How seasick?" Jane asked.

"Pretty bad."

Jane sighed, "Well, there go my plans to quit the FBI and sail around the world with you."   

"Quit? Yeah right. Don't forget your contract. Besides, you enjoy the mental stimulation too much," Lisbon declared.

Jane smiled but said nothing. While he had said in jest, the thought of giving up crime scenes and criminals and just running away with his Teresa sounded like paradise. True, while he had missed the excitement and puzzle of solving cases while on his island, he found that it was a small price to pay for some quiet and peace of mind. The only thing missing was Lisbon, and now that she was his, the thought of leaving it all behind to start fresh was even more enticing.

 "What if we just sailed it a little into the ocean and parked it there?" Jane asked Lisbon, "Then we can spend the day swimming and sunbathing without all the crowd that would be at the beach."

Lisbon considered his proposal. It did sound nice to enjoy the sun and water with the added bonus of privacy. And the short ride wouldn't trigger her nausea.

"Okay, that does sound good," Lisbon said.

"Great," said Jane. He pulled out his cell phone and made the appointment with Captain Orly.

Later that night Jane cuddled a sleepy Lisbon in bed, he himself too engrossed in his earlier thoughts about leaving the FBI to sleep. Lisbon stirred and he stroked her back while she drifted gently off to sleep. One day, he wanted to seriously discuss these thoughts with her.

And that day might be sooner than Lisbon was ready for.

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The next morning, at the other end of the country, Wayne Rigsby went to check the mailbox. There was the usual bills and junk mail, and an envelope that caught his eye. According to the address, it was from Kimball Cho. Rigsby grinned, excited to be hearing from his old friend, although it was odd that Cho had sent a letter instead of a phone call or email.

Rigsby tore open the letter as soon as he got home. Inside were two checks from Cho, one for fifty dollars written to him and one for hundred dollars written for Grace.

Risgby looked at the checks, puzzled. Why was Cho sending him and Grace money? It was such large amounts on top of that. Was he paying them back for something? Rigsby could not remember Cho borrowing so much as a penny let alone fifty dollars from him, and it seemed unlikely that he would ever borrow money from Grace. So not a loan repayment then. Was it possibly a gift?

While Rigsby was pondering the checks the doorbell rang.

He went to open the door and found the delivery man waiting.

"Hello sir. I have a delivery for Grace Van Pelt-Rigsby."

Rigsby bewilderedly stared at the vibrant pink blooms and the fancy chocolate box in the deliveryman's arms.

 _Oh crap._ He was now certain that he had forgotten some important anniversary. Grace was going to kill him. He frantically went through the list in his head. Their wedding day? No, that was in October. Grace's birthday? No, they had just celebrated it last month. Then what was it?

There was no name on the sender label, which made Rigsby cautious. He didn't want to take any chances with his wife's safety after her kidnapping. But he couldn't examine the parcel with the delivery man waiting.

Rigsby signed for the delivery and set the flowers and chocolate on the kitchen table. He was about to carefully examine both when he spotted a cream colored envelope tucked into the bouquet's wrapping. He set upon opening it in hopes that it would give him a clue on what was happening.

Grace came into the kitchen, "Hey, did I hear the doorbell ring?"

"Yeah, it was the delivery guy," her husband replied, "Did you order flowers and chocolate?"

Grace wrinkled her brow in confusion, "No, was the delivery for me?"

"Yeah, there was no name for the sender. We should be careful."

Grace immediately became alert, "What's that in your hand?"

"I think it's a card, I was just about to open it," said Rigsby.

He tore open the envelope and opened the card inside. "It's from Jane!"  

"Jane?" exclaimed Grace excitedly, "Well what does it say?" 

Rigsby looked at the card perplexedly, " _'Thanks for believing in me'_. What does that mean?"

Grace was equally puzzled, "I don't know. Why would he thank me?"

A light bulb suddenly went off in Rigsby's head.

"Jane and Lisbon got together! Look, Cho sent us these checks. It's the money he lost from our bet! And the flowers mean Jane manned up and confessed to Lisbon, just like you said he would," he declared grinning.

 Grace let out a little shriek of happiness, "Ohmygod, ohmygod, this is great news! I'm gonna call Lisbon right now!"

"Whoa, slow down," Rigsby said, "Let's call Cho first and confirm."

"You're right, I'm getting ahead of myself," said Grace attempting to calm down, "Well, what are you waiting for? Call him!"

Rigsby reached for his phone, and while he waited to connect to Cho he thought about his last conversation with the reserved agent regarding Jane and Lisbon.  

 It had happened when he and Grace were consulting for the FBI in the Haibach case. He and Cho had gone out for lunch and had an interesting conversation.

***Flashback***

_Rigsby and Cho chowed down on their burgers with voracious appetite._

_"Mm, these are good," Rigsby said, mumbling a bit as his mouth was full._

_Cho gave his friend and former partner a disgusted look but declined to comment on his atrocious eating habits._

_Rigsby chewed for a few moments looking thoughtful, "You remember our old bet about Jane and Lisbon getting together?"_

_"Yeah. Twenty dollars right? You owe me," said Cho._

_"No way!" Rigsby exclaimed, "I still think I'll win."_

_Cho scoffed, "Forget it man. Maybe back then it stood a chance. But definitely not now. They're like siblings. "_

_"You're kidding right? Siblings?" Rigsby said incredulously.  Seeing Cho's serious face, he balked. "Oh, you're not kidding. You actually think... okay, wow. That's ridiculous. Have you seen the way they look at each other?"_

_"You're the one who's ridiculous," Cho retorted, "Jane's just like another brother to Lisbon. Explains why she still puts up with him after all the shit he's pulled."_

_"Or, there's a different reason they're still together," Rigsby said, determined to defend his stance._

_Cho simply stared, shaking his head in disbelief._

_"Tell you what. Double or nothing. I bet you forty dollars that Jane and Lisbon will get together," said Rigsby._

_"You'll be waiting for a long time buddy. Just admit you lost already," countered Cho._

_"It'll happen. You'll see," Rigsby said stubbornly._

_Cho rolled his eyes, but decided to indulge his friend. "If you're so confident, let's raise the stakes a little. Let's put a time limit on this thing.  If Jane and Lisbon get together in... one year, I'll give you_ fifty _dollars," said Cho._

_Rigsby rose to the challenge, "Only raising by ten bucks? Sounds like you're the one who's not confident." But internally, he was concerned that Cho's imposed time limit might be an obstacle in his victory._

_"As a friend, I'm just helping you minimize your losses when you inevitably lose this bet. Let's shake," said Cho._

_He almost felt sorry for taking advantage of Rigsby's clearly delusional conviction. What was going to change between Jane and Lisbon in a year that hadn't changed in the past thirteen years?_

_"Hold on, Grace will want in on the action," said Rigsby texting his wife._

_"She says,' hundred dollars Jane says it first!'  Whew, hundred dollars," Rigsby said with a wince, "I hope Jane comes through."_

_"What's the matter? Scared? You can still back out, I'm feeling generous " said Cho smugly._

_"Never! My bet still stands! Grace can sacrifice the cost of one or two shopping expeditions if she's wrong. She already takes way more than half the closet. And my bet is separate from Grace. It doesn't matter who confesses first," said Risgby._

_"Especially if neither confess anything," said Cho._

_"You know,  Lisbon is in love with him too. If he won't say it she will," Rigsby said._

_"In love with Jane?" Cho said scornfully, "He's like a puppy on a leash. Lisbon's his boss. It's her job to keep him in line."_

_"Was," said Rigsby._

_"What?" said Cho in confusion._

_"She_ was _his boss. It_ used _to be her job to keep him in line! And now there's no conflict! FBI doesn't have any fraternization rules right?  Rigsby said triumphantly. "Doesn't matter," he said without waiting for Cho to answer, "Jane's still a consultant, they can't stop them."_

_Cho had to admit that was a good point, but it had been a year since Jane and Lisbon joined the FBI. That was plenty of time to start a relationship if they wanted it. Which they didn't because they didn't have those kinds of feelings for each other._

_As if reading his mind, Rigsby said, "If you don't believe it, I'll just ask them. The next time we all go out together, I'll just casually let it drop. Jane might be able to cover, but Lisbon's a horrible liar. Even if she denies it, it'll be obvious. Then we'll see who's right."_

_"Good luck with that," Cho said sarcastically, "From what I've seen, Jane and Lisbon have barely been in the same room since he's been back. You'd think they'd want to spend as much time together as possible if they're secretly pining for each other."_

_"Love works in mysterious ways," said Rigsby shrugging._

_"Whatever, let's just shake and get over with it already," said Cho impatiently._

_"You're on," Rigsby said shaking hands, "I'll be happy to take your money. Diapers are expensive."_

_"Really? How expensive?" said Cho, not really caring, but wanting to steer the topic away from his co-workers love lives._

_"Oh you don't even know man. Grace insists on these insanely overpriced "special" nappies for Maddy because she freaked out over some article she read about diaper rash, despite the fact I've told her a million times that Ben was just fine with Huggies..." Risby said exasperatedly._

_"Right. No need to give me an entire history on your diaper-related purchases," said Cho._

_"Sorry. I'll try not be the boring married with kids guy. Anyway, what's going on with you? Any girlfriends? " asked Rigsby curiously._

_"What's with the sudden interest in all our love lives?" said Cho, somewhat irritated._

_"I'm jealous of your everlasting bachelordom, Rigsby said sarcastically. Seriously though, don't you get lonely? What about that Agent Fischer? She single?"_

_"Dunno," Cho  said avoiding his friend's eyes, "Anyway,  I don't date coworkers. I've been out a few times, but nothing serious."_

_Not since Summer, he thought._

_Picking up in the subtle change in Cho's demeanor, Risgby chose to let the topic go. Cho tried not to show it, but he was lonely. He hoped that along with Jane and Lisbon, Cho would also find someone that made him incredibly happy, like how he felt with Grace._

***End flashback***

Rigsby hung up the phone after speaking with Cho, grinning. He couldn't believe Jane had stormed a plane! Well, if anyone could talk their way onto a plane without authorization it was Patrick Jane.

Grace squealed when she heard the story. "I'm so happy for them! That is so romantic," she said sighing dreamily, "I can't wait to hear Lisbon's side of the story."

Right then, the noise of an infant crying came from upstairs. "Oh, Maddy must be hungry," said Grace, "But I'm talking to Lisbon as soon as soon as I'm done feeding her," she said, practically bouncing in anticipation.

Rigsby watched her leave smiling. Grace had become more relaxed, settling into motherhood without the constant worry over the baby. Now instead of making her anxious, being a mom made Grace radiate with joy.

He looked at his check thinking that he would use it to treat Grace to nice night out. They could use some time away from the kids. In fact, they had nothing planned for tonight. He could go cash the check right now and make reservations at their favorite restaurant.

He dialed the number of the babysitter and made the arrangements for Maddy. Ben was at Sarah's for the weekend so that was taken care of already.

Risgby couldn't wait to surprise his wife.

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Grace made good on her promise to call Lisbon, much to her former boss's chagrin. But Lisbon's embarrassment was quickly dissipated by the redhead's delight and enthusiasm and she found herself openly sharing her feelings with her friend.

While Lisbon chatted with Grace, Jane idly listened to her talk and folded paper frogs out of hotel stationary for amusement. Lisbon watched in fascination, getting sidetracked from her conversation by the sight of Jane's dexterous hands, so quickly and artfully transforming the sheet of paper into an origami frog. He had such lovely hands, that were talented in more ways than one.

Almost as if he knew she was having dirty thoughts, Jane met Lisbon's eyes and smirked. She grinned at him in response.

He set down the frog, which was much smaller than the other two he had already made. Together, it looked like two adult frogs and a baby frog, a little paper frog family.

Lisbon hung up, looking amused, "Grace is over the moon about this. She said thanks for the flowers. Pink roses are her favorite."

"I know," Jane replied.

"Of course you do," Lisbon said teasingly.  

"Incidentally, deep pink roses are classically used to convey thankfulness or gratitude," Jane informed her.

"Do you always put so much thought in all your gifts? Haven't you ever just walked into a store and picked out something nice without thinking too much about what it means to the other person?" inquired Lisbon.

Jane scrunched his brow, "I guess not. I got into the habit of picking out significant gifts to win the trust of clients. But a gift is only as special as the person you plan to give it to. For instance, this simple paper frog," he said, picking up one of his creations, "is special because it's for you."

Lisbon smiled and took the paper frog, admiring its delicate folds. When she looked up, Jane had another origami in his hands. From somewhere, he had managed to procure some light pink paper which he had folded up into a lovely flower shape.

"When did you make that?" she asked.

Jane simply gave her a mysterious smile, fraught with possibilities like the Mona Lisa.

"Didn't you want to take a shower love? We have to get going for our boat ride. Shouldn't keep our captain waiting," he said.  

Lisbon rose and stretched, "Yeah, I'll be ready soon." Her lips quirked upwards, "You and your little surprises. You'll spoil me."

"As you should be," Jane murmured, with a peck on Lisbon's cheek as she left to go shower.

Jane prepared to get ready himself, stopping for a moment to pick up the origami flower with its characteristic five-petal design. He twirled the paper cherry blossom idly in his fingers. Charlotte had loved the flowers he folded for her. He had taught her how to fold this particular origami because it was one of the simpler ones. It was one of the rare moments he had to bond with his daughter. He was ashamed that he had given so much importance to his "job" over spending time with his wife and daughter.  

He knew he was not a very good father or even a good person, but he made attempts to instill good values in Charlotte when he could.

During teaching sessions with Charlotte, Jane liked to impart tidbits of knowledge. Growing up he had had a very informal, largely self-taught education and loved all sorts of learning, whether it be practical or random trivia. He tried to engage that curiosity and love of learning in his daughter. 

_"Did you know Charlotte," Jane told his daughter as she painstakingly recreated the folds he had showed her, "the flowers we are folding are called cherry blossoms? The cherry blossom is a treasured symbol in Japan. In Japanese culture the cherry blossom reflects the transient nature of life. Its loveliness and quick death remind people that life is beautiful, but tragically short."_

Jane blinked back the sudden tears that arose from the memory. Charlotte, his cherry blossom, taken from him too soon.

He set the origami down gently. Yes, life was short. That was why he could no longer spend it mourning those who had first shown him that life was beautiful. It had been a long winter, but he was finally beginning to get a taste of spring again.

His Lisbon had brought the flowers back into his life and Jane planned to show her that whether it was the language of flowers, or the language of love, he was well versed in both.


End file.
